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A WHITE WOMAN 

IN A 

BLACK MAN’S 
COUNTRY 

THREE THOUSAND MILES UP 
THE NILE TO REJAF 


BY 

NETTIE FOWLER DIETZ 


PRIVATELY PRINTED 


OMAHA, NEBRASKA 
1914 



Copyright, 1914 

BY 

Nettie F. Dietz 


DEC -j 1914 


[three hundred copies printed] 

299 



s 

©Cl. A 388679 


FOREWORD 


W ITH worlds of thanks to all of those who 
so kindly and generously gave of their 
fund of knowledge of this most attractive 
Sudan; and with apologies to those who feel that they 
must read it, I now send out this little book made up 
as it is of the daily letters home to “the girl I left 
behind me”—my sister—while we were on this trip, 
which we consider quite the most unusual and in¬ 
teresting of any we have ever taken. I sincerely 
trust that it will bring some pleasure to those into 
whose hands it falls. 


Omaha , Nebraska 
May 1, 19H 


Nettie F. Dietz. 


















































































A WHITE WOMAN IN A BLACK MAN’S 
COUNTRY 


M R. DIETZ and I left our home in Omaha, 
Nebraska, on the evening of November 12, 
1912, and proceeded direct to New York, 
from which place we sailed at noon, November 16 
on the S.S. Berlin. 

S.S. Berlin, November 16,1912. 

It is now 5 p.m. and we haven't had a ripple— 
smooth as it will be on the Nile. They say it is to 
be this way all the journey, but I'm from Missouri! 
We found the Captain's quarters which we are occu¬ 
pying full of many letters and other reminders sent us 
by loving friends. 

We went down to lunch and did full justice to the 
good meal set before us. The dining room is very 
pretty—all round tables seating from two to eight 
people. The Captain was not down. His is an eight- 
table in a prominent position of course. Besides 
ourselves there were two ladies and three gentlemen, 
but we were too “strange" today for much conver¬ 
sation. Our deck chairs are in a fine location and we 
feel that we are to be well cared for and we were in 
place and ready for the afternoon refreshments— 
tea, coffee, crackers and delicious coffee cake. 


1 


2 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


S.S. Berlin, November 17, 1912. 

This morning when we got up there was a little 
swell and it was cloudy. We have since then left 
the swell and come into the same calm sea. The 
sun is out and the air surprisingly warm. The Cap¬ 
tain says we are in the Gulf stream. We have just 
finished luncheon and a good one. We go in promptly 
at 12 but have the rest of our meals in our rooms. One 
of the officers evidently has a canary for I can hear 
it chirping contentedly. 

One thing is very noticeable on this boat, there is 
almost no vibration—perhaps there might be more 
if the water was not so calm—well I’m not hanker¬ 
ing for vibration! 

Run was 372 miles to noon today. 

S.S. Berlin, November 18, 1912. 

The smooth water still continues, thank good¬ 
ness! and I am feeling just fine. This morning when 
I came out the sun was shining and the air so warm 
I could only stand the coat to my suit, but about 
noon it clouded over and the Captain coming along 
said “ Maybe we’ll have a little squall.” The rain 
did come but now the sun is trying hard to come 
out. We find our seat mates at table most charming. 
The Captain is fat and jolly and keeps us all in the 
best of humor. There is an Italian doctor employed 
by the Italian government as inspector of the steer¬ 
age who does his “inspecting” twice a day; a man 
and his wife are on their way to Egypt—their first 
visit. Fleas appeared to be their great fear and they 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


3 


seemed to think that they were to be found only 
on the Nile boats, but when we said that the 
whole of Egypt was infested with them we saw 
grave fears in their eyes. There is also our consul 
at Genoa and a charming woman who makes her 
home in Florence. 

I overheard a good conundrum this morning:— 
A man had one dollar and fifteen cents in money 
divided into six pieces of silver and yet he could not 
change a nickle, a dime, a quarter, a half dollar 
nor a dollar. Now please tell what denomination 
the money was in, without looking at the answer 
which is—One half dollar, a quarter and four dimes. 

The run to noon today was 428 miles. At 4 p.m. 
the thermometer on deck registered 63° and was 
probably more at noon. So you can see it really 
is warm. 


S.S. Berlin, November 21, 1912. 

I told you so! You see there are two days missing 
from the letters. We went into the storm in the 
early hours of Tuesday morning. I managed to 
get up and do the breakfast act and shortly there¬ 
after gave up my breakfast and everything else that 
was loose inside, and during the day as other things 
became loosened inside of me they came up too! 
For two days I practically tasted neither food nor 
clothing. However, I will have to modify the cloth¬ 
ing part for late yesterday afternoon Charles came 
up, made me get into some clothes and got me out 
on deck for a couple of hours. Today I am able to 


4 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


sit up and take notice. The air continues very warm 
and summer clothes are appearing. 

For two and a half days it has rained steadily—a 
regular downpour. The Captain says it is for the 
benefit of the fish who want a fresh drink. As it con¬ 
tinues to pour I think the fish must have been ter¬ 
ribly dry. We saw the Azores this morning off in 
the haze—an island on each side of us. 

Today is like life—sunshine and shadow with a 
head wind to buffet against. 

Each day as we go into lunch we stop at the en¬ 
trance to the dining room and inspect the cold meat 
display. There are always three shelves of it and 
arranged in a most appetizing and attractive form 
—a real work of art. It makes you think of the 
tables that are in the big London hotels. The meals 
on board are most excellent—order whatever you 
please and when. 

We have had no steam on in the rooms since the 
first day out. We have never had such a warm 
crossing, not even in summer. 

A strange thing is that we have seen nothing in 
the way of any kind of boat or sailing vessel although 
we are in wireless communication every day with 
other boats. 


S.S. Berlin, November 24, 1912. 
Yesterday was a perfect day with the sea calm and 
blue. And this quite the most glorious morning we’ve 
had—not a fleck in the sky—sun warm and water 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


5 


calm as a pond. Now this is the sort of a sea voyage 
I should always like to have. 

This is Sunday and the Dutchman’s Sunday morn¬ 
ing music is akin to the words “hark from the tomb 
a doleful sound.” It came floating up to us this 
morning as we were having our coffee and really 
was enough to give one the blues. I suppose that 
it means something brighter to them than it sounds. 
I certainly hope so. Last Sunday we did not hear it 
and we imagined it had been abolished with the old 
table d’hote service. We are, I believe, to get to 
Gibraltar about noon today. 

S.S. Berlin, November 25, 1912. 

Here we are starting in on another one of these 
beautiful days—bright warm sunshine and perfectly 
smooth sea. 

The afternoon before our arrival in Gibraltar we 
began to see all sorts of odd crafts laboriously making 
their way to the east and such excitement as there 
was aboard for they were the first signs of habita¬ 
tion that we had seen. 

At an early hour yesterday morning we began to 
faintly see the outlines of the Spanish coast. You 
may be relieved—I always am—to know that the 
rock of Gibraltar still stands. Some way it has ever 
seemed to me that some day it will cut that strip 
of neutral ground and slip away. 

Yesterday we had an early lunch and at about 
1.45 p.m. we boarded the tug that came out into the 


6 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


bay to meet and take us ashore. ’Twas like a mid¬ 
summer’s day, warm sun, flowers gay with bright 
colored blossoms and people out in their thin clothes. 
But Gibraltar being English and the day Sunday 
everything was closed except the tobacco shops. 
We walked up to the Park, sat, rested and enjoyed 
the view of the flowers, people and visitors, then 
walked back to the dock and came aboard on the 
first tug. Charles mourned because there wasn’t 
a thing to tempt him to part with his money! 

There was the usual number of Oriental mer¬ 
chants on deck here with their goods spread out 
but I think their sales were very limited. 

There was a fine American warship in the har¬ 
bor of Gibraltar. I heard it was the Tennessee. 
About 4 p.m. she steamed out and turned in the 
direction of Constantinople where, as you know, 
there is need of protection these days. Gibraltar 
with its myriad of twinkling lights looked very pretty 
as we passed out at 6.30 p.m. and later the outline of 
the Rock was plainly visible by light of the full moon. 

All day today we have been so close to the African 
shore that it seemed as though we could almost 
touch it. It has such a very mountainous appearance 
you could easily imagine it to be the South of France. 
The mountains have had the exquisite blue haze of 
Switzerland over them. Once in a while we can see 
a tiny village nestling over there and the smoke of 
the little coast steamer that plies along from village 
to village. 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


7 


At luncheon the Captain said it would be 6 p.m. 
before we got to Algiers and warned us all if we went 
ashore to be sure to catch the last tug back as he 
would leave promptly at 8 p.m. As it will be dark 
when we get there I have very little desire to go 
ashore for it is not the electric lighted Algiers that 
I care to see. I am sorry that we will not be able to 
have a couple of hours for a daylight drive about 
so that I can see the changes and improvements 
since we were here twenty years ago. But we’ll live! 

Notwithstanding the warm glorious sunshine there 
is quite a raw wind blowing on us from the African 
shore so that I am glad to crawl into all my wraps 
for the deck—and here was where I expected no 
chill. 

At 6 p.m. we rounded the point and were in full 
view of the city of Algiers and shortly afterwards 
were at anchor in the Bay. The stay was of such 
short duration that very few left the boat. The view 
of the twinkling lights meandering up the hills was 
very beautiful and the string of lights on the high 
water front looked like an exquisite string of pearls. 

S.S. Berlin, November 26, 1912. 

This has been a beautiful, clear day with smooth 
seas and bright sunshine but the chill from the Af¬ 
rican shore is still with us. Every one has been busy 
all day packing for the disembarking tomorrow 
morning and tonight we bade adieu to the pleasant 
acquaintances we have made and hope that the 


8 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


future will accord us another meeting with them 
and also another passage on this steady good boat 
where we have been so comfortable. 

Naples, November 27, 1912. 

We were awakened early this morning by our 
boat whistling long and loud for the pilot and on peep¬ 
ing out could see Vesuvius in the gray dawn. It took 
quite a while to dock but finally it was accomplished 
and then we discovered ’twas only a few minutes 
after 7 a.m. The landing was soon made and once 
more we are on land and in a hotel. A walk in the 
bright warm sunshine a little loitering around the 
ever attractive shop windows and the morning was 
gone. 

It has rained here recently and all the vegetation 
looks so green and attractive. The carts loaded with 
clean appetizing vegetables almost make you want 
to eat them uncooked. 

This afternoon we took a delightful drive of a 
couple of hours way up on the hills overlooking 
Naples and the Bay—a most beautiful sight as you 
know. Vesuvius is very quiet now only a thin line 
of white smoke coming out. 

Naples, November 28, 1912. 

The day started most auspiciously for us with 
first thing a cablegram from you people at home 
and it was with the real Thanksgiving spirit that we 
read it. This morning the sun shone bright and warm 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


9 


but there was a chilly breeze from the southwest. 
It is too early yet for many tourists to be here and 
the hotels are only partly opened. The Capri boat 
got no passengers this morning. 

We went on the 11 a.m. electric train to Pompeii,— 
a very pretty ride up nearer Vesuvius than by the rail¬ 
road. In going through the town of Bosco Reale we 
saw the streams of lava that came down in the last 
eruption. We arrived at Pompeii at 12.30 and had a 
delicious luncheon of spaghetti, fish, chianti, bread 
and butter. After this we started to the newly 
excavated part of Pompeii. Some of the tombs had 
only been excavated a year and a very beautiful 
house two years. However, it began to rain soon, 
a continued downpour, so we had to give up further 
sightseeing and return to Naples. 

I saw by the Paris Herald that at a conference of 
dressmakers held in Chicago, tight skirts were de¬ 
creed for another season, and that Paris dressmakers 
would abide by the decision, so you see WE are to 
blame for the continuance of the tight skirts. An¬ 
other interesting thing I forgot to mention before: 
On shipboard there was an oil merchant coming over 
to buy oil and he told us something about the oil 
business that we had never heard of before. He says 
that the olives are squeezed or pressed three times. 
The first pressing is sold for medicinal purposes 
as it is considered far the best; the second pressing 
is sold to the nobility; and the third pressing is put 
on the general market. Novara, our courier con- 


10 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


firms this, only he says “ small men like he sell their 
first pressing, also the second to the general market 
and save third pressing for family use.” 

Naples, November 29, 1912. 

The loads of fresh vegetables clattering by and the 
chattering of the natives awoke us early this morn¬ 
ing and it was well for Vesuvius lifted her head for a 
few moments out of the heavy cloud of smoke that 
has enveloped her for two days but soon sought the 
seclusion of it again. 

At 10 a.m. we went to the boat— S.S. Prinz Hein¬ 
rich —that is to take us to Egypt. However, it was 
2 p.m. before we sailed and for the rest of the day we 
had the coldest weather we have had on the whole 
trip. I sat on deck bundled up to my eyes in every¬ 
thing I could get hold of and still shivered. 

S.S. Prinz Heinrich, November 30, 1912. 

Not quite so cold today but far from hot. We 
are fortunate in having a smooth sea. The boat is 
crowded to its limit and I don’t know but beyond. 
It seems it is the time when all the clerks, etc., are 
going to Egypt for their winter’s jobs. They say 
that all second class accommodations have been 
sold as first and the steerage as second! 

S.S. Prinz Heinrich, December 1, 1912. 

This has been a most charming day—real true warm 
sunshine and calm seas. The vibration of this boat 
is “fierce” and the arrangement worse if possible. 
In rough weather she would be a terror I know. 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


11 


This morning she rolled some and yet the sea was 
smooth. 

Our room boy’s name is Heinrich and we call him 
“Prince Heinrich” and then his mouth stretches 
from ear to ear in a smile. This morning as he 
brought in the coffee I said “the boat is rolling this 
morning”—he said “yes, I think we have a storm 
here yesterday or tomorrow.” What he meant was 
he thought there had been a storm along about yes¬ 
terday or the day before. 

This is the most peculiarly and poorest arranged 
boat I have ever seen. There is a lady’s tiny sitting 
and writing room, and equally small smoking room 
for the men, and the only loafing room for both sexes 
is the cafe. One thing we are glad they don’t have 
on this boat, and it is unusual—a band. I was so 
thankful Sunday morning not to hear that doleful 
Sunday morning tune—when it is played I feel like 
our dog Punch and long to throw up my head and 
howl. 

All the windows have screens and so has our door 
but we have killed two mosquitoes. We will prob¬ 
ably have a picnic with them in Egypt. We have 
seen very few vessels, but the Marconi is in touch 
with them all the time so they are about. This morn¬ 
ing we had a good view of Crete. There was snow on 
the mountains. 

S.S. Prinz Heinrich, December 2, 1912. 

Good morning—or I suppose to be correct I should 
say good night to you as there is now some eight hours 


12 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


difference in time. We are going over smooth seas but 
the vibration of the boat makes my writing somewhat 
wiggly. There is a chill in the air, even if we do have 
bright sunshine, caused by a strong east wind. It 
was 3 p.m. when we docked at Alexandria and there 
was the same howling mob as ever. The special 
boat train left at 5 p.m. and we reached Cairo at 
9 p.m. and soon afterwards were most comfortably 
fixed at Shepheards in the same suite of rooms we have 
had several times before. There was a big bunch of 
roses on the sitting room table to give us welcome. 
The air was delightfully soft so we walked out for a 
few blocks before retiring. 

Cairo, December 3, 1912. 

After a splendid night’s rest on a bed that stood 
still, we were very leisurely about getting up this 
morning. It seems that an Austrian Lloyd steamer 
from Trieste arrived at Alexandria two hours before 
we did and her passengers and ours really opened 
this hotel for the season. We went to Cook’s about 
our trip to the Uganda country and bought some 
charming Christmas cards, sent them off, walked a 
little and loafed much on the front terrace where the 
sights are always entertaining. The weather is 
really much cooler than we expected, with many 
clouds. 


Cairo, December 4, 1912. 

I sincerely hope that you are not wasting any sym¬ 
pathy on our suffering from the heat. It is really 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


13 



IN THE GARDEN AT SHEPHEARDS, CAIRO 


quite the reverse. We have to wear heavy clothes all 
the time to be comfortable, and much of the time 
the sun is under a cloud and it threatens rain but 
doesn’t. It seems difficult to find out anything about 
the trip we want to take and on all sides people tell 
us discouraging things of it. The hotel manager 
used this argument, “you’ll find it very hot up there,” 
but as our teeth were then chattering from the cold 
that threat sounded good to us. No doubt there will 
be many discomforts of which we now have no con¬ 
ception but I’m more than willing to undergo them 
for the interesting things we will see. 

How traditions are knocked in the head. This 
morning we found out that the sacred carpet is not 
a carpet at all, but a piece of very heavy black 
satin heavily embroidered in gold. It is something 


14 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 



FUNERAL, CAIRO BALCONY AT SHEPHEARDS 


that is used on their pulpits and each year on its 
return from Mecca is given to the Khedive who 
annually cuts it into pieces and distributes these 
to his friends. The making of the so-called carpet 
is a concession or contract or allotment or whatever 
they call it, to a certain family from time immemorial 
and costs a vast sum of money. 

Excuse me while I look at the passing funeral— 
only a common one—poor fellow, maybe he was 
glad to go. 


Cairo, December 5, 1912. 

We took quite a walk this morning over to the 
Savoy hotel and back and found many changes, 
such a lot of fine buildings have been put up since 
we were here. We had a delicious lunch today. On 
the street Charles bought a basket of the most beau¬ 
tiful strawberries—large and ripe. We had bread, 
butter and coffee brought to our room and with our 
strawberries made a banquet. 





A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


15 


Autos are very numerous here and evidently with 
no speed limit for they go faster than in Paris if 
that is possible. It is a little warmer today and 
most agreeable but the nights are decidedly cold. 

We find little data on our intended trip, however, 
today we found out that the trip from Cairo to Gon- 
dokora, by the Nile is longer than a trip from New 
Orleans to Billings, Montana, would be by water. 

The gardens at the back of Shepheards hotel are 
very beautiful now, everything is so fresh and clean. 
The flower beds have just been filled. 

Cairo, December 6, 1912. 

Almost everyone is complaining of the cold and 
the nights are really bitterly cold. You would laugh 
to see how we bundle up just to sit around and cuddle 
the hot water bottle when we go to bed. 

This afternoon as we sat on the terrace a native 
boy went by with newspapers, calling out “New 
York Herald —right from Chicago!” 

The many dragomen that hang about Shepheards 
garden, at the front, have nothing to do these days 
and so loaf in what sunshine there is, but they have 
a big capacity for loafing. 

As I came into our room, thoroughly chilled from 
sitting late out on the terrace, my eyes beheld a most 
wonderful sight—Charles cosily sitting by a brightly 
blazing cheerful grate fire—quite the best thing I 
have seen or felt in Egypt. Friends coming up to 
spend the evening with us agreed with me about the 


16 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


fire. Notwithstanding the cold, the poinsettas are 
in full bloom and most gorgeous. 

Cairo, December 7, 1912. 

The sun is bright this morning but the air is cool 
with a most piercing wind. Everyone is done up in 
overcoats and furs, where one is fortunate enough to 
have them. And yet the thermometer is 50°. 

The day slipped away very fast as we made prep¬ 
arations for our departure tonight for the great un¬ 
known Sudan. 

Assuan, December 8, 1912. 

We left Cairo at 6.30 last evening on what is called 
the 11 train de luxe ”—all sleeping cars and a dining 
car. We had a good night’s rest and were up in good 
season this morning and had breakfast in the dining 
car. We arrived at Luxor at 8 a.m. and as we had 
two hours to wait there we walked up to the Winter 
Palace Hotel, found it a most charming place. We 
went into the garden and basked in the warm sun¬ 
shine. 

We departed at 10 a.m. on the narrow gauge road 
and were fortunate in having a compartment to 
ourselves and with a thing we had never seen before 
—smoked glass or at least glass of that color in all the 
windows, and oh it was such a relief from the strong 
glare of the sun and yet it did not interfere at all 
with our seeing out. 

The ride was a pretty dusty one but yet I enjoyed 
it and was so much interested in seeing the improve- 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


17 


ments that had been made since we were up here 
many years ago. The waters of the Nile have been 
carried farther inland and have literally made the 
country to blossom. 

We arrived at Assuan at 4 p.m. and it was only 
a few minutes ride to the delightful Cataract Hotel 



ENTRANCE TO CATARACT HOTEL, ASSUAN 


and they had such a pleasant suite of rooms for us 
with a balcony overlooking the river and Elephan¬ 
tine Island. Now we feel that we made such a mis¬ 
take in staying the week in Cairo. We should have 
pushed right on up here where it is so much warmer. 

S.S. Prince Abbas, December 9, 1912. 

Well this is really something worth coming for. 
But I’m getting the cart before the horse. We had 



18 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 



THE NILE AT SHELLAL 

a lovely night’s rest, everything so quiet. Naturally 
we were up early so as to be in time for the train 
which left at 8.45 a.m. The air was delicious, cold, 
but very dry and we were glad to put on our heavy 
wraps for the ride to the station and kept them on for 
the half hour ride by train to Shellal. The train was 
packed and we naturally thought all were bound for 
the same place as we, but found that the others were 
en route to visit the Island of Philae. 

The train stopped opposite the steamer landing 
and we and our baggage were quickly transferred to 
this steamer which we found most comfortable, yes 
even luxurious. They have accommodations for 
36 passengers and there are only 9 on board so you 
see there is an abundance of room. Here is the pas¬ 
senger list: 



A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


19 


Mr. Ernest Berger 
Mr. C. N. Dietz 
Mrs. C. N. Dietz 
Mr. R. H. Greg 
Mme. Paul Mellon 


The Hon. Stephen 
Powys and valet 
Mr. Gustave Roy 
Mme. Gustave Roy 
Mr. Andre Roy 



PHILAE PARTIALLY SUBMERGED 


It was just 10 a.m. as we steamed out of Shellal and 
in passing Philae, or what is still above the water, 
we saw what had become of the other train’s people 
as they were to be seen in small row boats going in 




20 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


and out among the ruins of Philae, which will soon be 
out of sight altogether as the Assuan dam has been 
raised 15 feet enabling them to store 2 \ times as 
much water as before and thus reclaim vastly more 
of the desert. 

This boat is on the same plan as the Nile boats 
to Luxor only not nearly so large. The lower deck 
has some rooms on it and all the baths and toilets. 
On the upper deck, way forward, is a veritable sun 
parlor that can be closed up with glass windows the 
moment the air becomes the least bit cold. Next 
comes the dining room, bright and airy with an un¬ 
interrupted view of the scenery we are passing. 
Next are the stairways to the lower deck. Right in 
the middle of the deck is the big lounging space—open 
of course, but if needed, it can be closed by letting 
down the curtains at the sides. Here there are most 
comfortable chairs of all descriptions, tables and a 
piano. Two corners are enclosed with glass so you 
can be in or out of the air as you desire. Then comes 
this writing room with divans in the corners for those 
who desire to loll there and read the pile of papers or 
some of the many books in the case which is open. 
Back of this room are eight cabins, four on each side 
of the boat. We each have a cabin and are so com¬ 
fortable with plenty of room for a trunk. Besides 
the bed we have a washstand with all necessary 
things on it and a camp stool. 

We have been much interested in the scenery— 
river is very wide and much of the time looks like 


21 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


V&: 



THE “PRINCE ABBAS” 



PLAN OF “PRINCE ABBAS” SHOWING THE LOCATION 
OF OUR CABINS 
















































































































22 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


a huge lake. So far the shores are high—big bluffs of 
stone with once in a while some ruined temple that 
has been repaired. We are to stop at the most noted 
ones. 

The boat is delightfully clean in every particular 
with Arab servants in their white nightgown robes 
to wait on us. The order of the day seems to be as 
follows: morning coffee at whatever hour desired 
and brought to the room if you so desire. Luncheon 
is at 12.30. It is the only meal we have had so far 
and it was fine, consisting of hors d’oeuvres, fish, 
chicken, curry and rice, beefsteak and potatoes, 
pudding, cheese, bread and butter, and fruit. Coffee 
was served out in the lounging room. Not much 
chance to starve! At 4 p.m. tea is served out in the 
lounging room which is the popular place of course. 
Dinner at 7.30 and I suppose it will be a long drawn 
out affair. 

We are the only passengers going beyond Wady 
Haifa and the others seem to rather envy us. They 
are only making the round trip with the Prince Abbas. 
This is its first trip of the season. 

We find all the passengers most agreeable—all 
want to be sociable and all are glad there is no bigger 
crowd. There is a dragomen who goes with the boat 
and as we come to interesting places he describes 
them to us first in English and then in French. 

The water of the Nile is raised by the Assuan dam 
as far as Abu Simbel, making a huge reservoir 175 
miles long, and varying in width. 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


23 


At first I was in great sympathy with the natives 
along the shore but when the dragoman explained 
things to me I saw that my sympathy was wasted 
as is frequently the case. The old shore-line can be 
followed most of the way by the tops of the tall 
palms whose heads are just sticking out of the water. 
The raising of the water necessitated moving the 
native villages higher up on the hillsides which was 
done at the expense of the Dam Company (that is 
not swearing), and the men were also given work at 
Assuan. When the Nile goes down to its original 
level, which is sometime in the early spring, the 
natives get their crops in quickly on the old fields 
which have been under water for several months 
and are in prime condition being thoroughly wet 
through. The crops grow and ripen quickly and are 
universally large and can be harvested by the last 
of August when the natural rise of the Nile begins. 
The dragoman says that the natives say that they are 
happier and much better off than ever before. . 

In this genial sunshine and these charming sur¬ 
roundings we have already thawed out and are gradu¬ 
ally discarding our wraps. We are disgusted with 
ourselves that we stayed so long in cold Cairo and I 
believe we will be sorry when we have to leave the 
boat for the train and are hoping the other boat 
trip will be equally comfortable but realize that the 
boat must be much smaller. I hear the tea dishes 
rattling and so will go out and join the rest of the 
passengers and partake with them. 


24 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 



KOROSKO, BETWEEN ASSUAN AND HALFA 


S.S. Prince Abbas, December 10, 1912. 

Yesterday afternoon we stopped at the ruins of 
the temple of Dekkeh and it was funny to see the way 
the steamer ran right up to the shore. The boat is, 
of course, built for this service and only draws three 
feet of water. The Arab sailors jumped out into 
the water carrying the cable rope and soon we were 
fastened, the gang plank run out and we went out 
to see the Temple—only a short walk and one of 
very little interest. The natives came swarming 
down and crouched on their haunches but to our 
surprise did not beg for “bakhshish” or utter a 
sound. 

My! but it was cold last night. I had my flannel 
wrapper on over my cotton gown and then two 
blankets as heavy as Pullman ones piled on me. 




A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


25 


We tied up about 9 p.m. and started at 5.30 this 
morning. We have just passed the town of Korosko 
and your knowledge of geography will no doubt 
locate us at once! Formerly it was a place of great 
importance as the caravans started from here for 
Khartoum and their bazar was as celebrated as that 
of Nijni Novgorod. Now that is a thing of the past 
and a few mud huts are all that remain of this once 
prosperous busy place. 

This morning at 7.30 we tied up right in sight of 
the ruins of the Temple of Es-Sebua. Before going 
to the ruins, tea, coffee and crackers were served in 
the lounging room and on returning those who 
wanted to could have a full sized breakfast served 
in the dining room. 

The half starved shivering dogs excite our sym¬ 
pathy so much that we share our meals with them. 
They hang about the boat at every landing, even 
coming out in the water for the bits that are thrown 
them. The cook gave each one a liberal allowance of 
meat and we thought how glad they would have been 
for many of the dishes at which our dog Master 
Punch turns up his nose. 

We see many or rather I should say some palms out 
of the water and quite a little land under cultivation. 
We find that the Nile from Alexandria to its source 
is about 3500 miles in length of which we are to 
cover about 3000 miles. 

Yesterday the river had much the appearance of a 
lake with the high rocky hills on each side, but to- 


26 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


day it has changed greatly. The east side still has 
rough rugged hills but not nearly so high while on 
the west side the desert comes right to the shore and 
the sand is as yellow as our yellow corn meal and 
seemingly full of life. This Nubian sand is so much 
more beautiful than the gray lifeless sand of Egypt. 
Our view of the desert is restricted by the low hills 
a short distance inland. 

We have just passed a tug boat with a freight 
boat on each side of it loaded with freight for these 
villages. The natives also travel on them and some 
of their washing was hung out on top to dry. 

It seems to me that I can see a difference in the 
color of the river water up here. It’s lighter or else 
I imagine that it is. 

We were surprised to find Poland water for sale 
on this boat and they have plenty of ice. The stew¬ 
ard told me that a little later it gets so warm that the 
passengers cannot stand the heat of the dining room 
(the engines and kitchen are under it) and then all 
meals are served out in the lounging place. 

Later this morning we all got off and climbed the 
sandy hill to see the Temple of Amada and imme¬ 
diately after lunch we landed at the town of Derr 
and ploughed through the sand and dirt to the Rock 
Temple of Derr. We always have a large following 
of natives with the usual quantity of gummed up 
filthy eyes covered with flies. The flowing black 
robes of the women are rather graceful and you can¬ 
not help but envy them the erect way they hold them- 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


27 


selves while car¬ 
rying the heavy 
jars of water on 
their 1 eads. At 
Derr many of the 
women were 
loaded with silver 
jewelry, said to be 
their fortunes. 

Between Luxor 
and Assuan we 
passed perfectly 
huge fields of 
dhurra. It is from 
this that the na¬ 
tives make their 
flour and also an 
intoxicating drink 
that they love 
very much. 

At Luxor 
Charles had some 
trouble with one 
of the depot boys 
about a tip—the 
boy wanted more of course—and later saw his mis¬ 
take and kept coming to me saying “ please tell the 
gentleman not to be sorry for me.” What he really 
wanted to say was “ please tell the gentleman not to 
be mad at me.” 


A TYPICAL NATIVE POSTURE 



28 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


We notice the male natives standing in such a 
peculiar way. At first you would think them one 
legged but soon you will see that one foot rests on 
the knee of the other leg. 

S.S. Prince Abbas, December 11, 1912. 

Late yesterday afternoon we tied up at the foot 
of a high hill called “Kasr Ibrim” on top of which 
were the remains of an ancient fortress and from 
which they said the view of the country and setting 
sun would be fine. As to the country we had a good 
view of it from the steamer and the heavy clouds 
precluded all chances of a fine sunset, so, lazy people 
that we are, Charles and I remained quietly on the 
boat while some climbed the steep hill to return 
later saying “ ’twas not worth the effort.” Others 
wandered over the desert for the exercise and came 
back with their shoes filled with sand. 

This being the first trip of the Prince Abbas this 
season the machinery seems somewhat out of order 
so that frequent repairs have to be made and last 
evening being one of these times we remained tied 
up at the foot of the Fort hill all night while hammer¬ 
ing went on at a brisk rate until a late hour of the 
night. However, we managed to get a good night’s 
rest notwithstanding that and the cold which again 
was intense. The thermometer this morning was 50° 
and there is still a viciously cold north wind blowing 
which makes us all seek the sun and hunt a place 
out of the wind. Charles pulled out his suit of winter 
clothes and is wearing them with no discomfort 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


29 



ROCK TEMPLE AT ABU S1MBEL 

and for a while this morning he had on his heavy 
overcoat. So you can see that we are not suffering 
at all from the heat. 

It was 4 a.m. when the boat started so we are a 






30 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


little behind schedule time on account of stopping 
for repairs. 

For some little time before we arrived at Abu 
Simbel we could catch distant glimpses of the rock 
temple and all were in a state of excitement when 
shortly after 10 a.m. we came to a stop and tied up in 
front of that marvelous temple—to me much more 
impressive than any of the other ruins of Egypt. 
Until the last four years the Nile ran right by the 
steps going up to the temple, as can be seen in the 
illustration of this boat at Abu Simbel, but now the 
deposits from the inundations of the Nile have made 
quite a tract of land between the temple and the river. 
It is fully a quarter of a mile wide and very fertile 
giving the natives a fine harvest. It is now planted 
with crops of wheat and other things so that it was 
not a bad walk through the waving green. I only 
wish I could describe the temple to you but Fm 
staggered. 

The cut of the Prince Abbas in front of Abu Simbel 
only shows the front half of the boat, the sun parlor 
and dining room. The sun parlor extends up to the 
door (which is opened) of the dining room. The open 
part of the middle is the lounging room where we 
spend most of our time. 

We are tied up here in front of the Temple and will 
be here all night for more repairs. The wind comes 
sweeping over the land and is so vicious that they 
have pulled down the awnings on the land side 
cutting us off from the view of the Temple but every 


A BLACK MAN'S COUNTRY 


31 


few minutes I pull aside the awning for just one more 
view of its beauties. 

Imagine if you can a quarter of a mile of waving 
green crops, then a sharply rising range of hills of 
solid stone and this Temple cut in its face. On each 
side of the entrance are two enormous seated statues 
of Rameses II, each of them being 66 feet in height 



“PRINCE ABBAS” IN FRONT OF ABU SIMBEL 


and in a very good state of preservation, only one 
head being gone and that lies at the feet of the owner, 
it being too much of a job and quite too expensive to 
replace it. Between the legs of these monsters are 
figures of the wife, mother and children, and even they 
are 26 feet high. Inside the Temple is in excellent 
condition, some of the color still remains on the walls 






32 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


all of which are extensively carved. You understand 
that this entire temple is cut out of the solid rock 
and extends back into the rock 185 feet, with numer¬ 
ous side rooms one of which evidently was never 
finished for at one end is the drawing of the design 
which has not yet been cut in the stone. Inside the 
big room were 8 huge figures 30 feet high, standing 
against the stone pillars which must have been 20 
feet higher. Walls, ceiling, pillars, etc., were carved 
with scenes in the history of Rameses who evidently 
was a vain fellow and wanted his praises sung and 
exploits handed down to posterity. 

Nearby to the left is a smaller temple that was 
discovered by Amelia B. Edwards who wrote the 
interesting book A Thousand Miles up the Nile. 

On the other side is the Temple of Hathor, also 
hewn out of solid rock and very interesting but of 
course the most wonderful is the big temple— 
please excuse me while I go and get a peep at it. 
Eve always had such a great desire to see it ever 
since we made the trip to Assuan in 1900 when we 
read Miss Edwards’ book aloud. It faces exactly 
east so that the rising sun shines directly into it for 
a short time lighting up every corner. It is wired for 
electric lights and when the boats went nearer it 
used to be connected to the boat by wire and thus 
illuminated, but the distance is now too far so lamps, 
candles, etc., have to be used. The boat has a huge 
illuminating lamp with reflector which is used at all 
the temples and gives an excellent light. 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


33 


In front of the small temple discovered by Miss 
Edwards is the tomb of an English officer who died 
here in 1885. A lonely place in which to be laid away 
—but what is the difference? However, I think that 
it did give us all rather a creepy feeling. 

At each side of the big Temple were veritable 
cascades of the vivid yellow sand so noticeable in 
Nubia. Some way you feel it is full of life. I really 
longed to roll in it and some of the party did make 
the pull up just to run down over it. A wall has been 
built each side of the Temple to prevent the sands 
sliding down onto it. 

In a tent out in front of the big Temple was an 
artist by the name of Newman who said he was an 
American. He married an English woman and they 
make their home in Florence but come here every 
winter. They have their own sailing dahabeah and 
live in it, spending most of the day time, however, 
in the tent where he paints pictures of the temples. 
He seemed quite feeble when we saw him in the open¬ 
ing or window of his tent. We had a few pleasant 
words with him and his wife. 

It will take us three and a half days to go from 
Shellal to Wady Haifa but only two days to make 
the trip down the river. They only make about 
seven miles an hour. Really I think this is one of 
the most delightful boat trips I have ever taken, and 
it is the kind of ocean trip I thoroughly enjoy! All 
the year round the government has boats running 
between Shellal and Wady Haifa. They are much. 


34 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


smaller than this and tow two barges of freight and 
natives much like the ones we will have with us 
from Khartoum, we imagine. 

S.S. Prince Abbas, December 12, 1912. 

Again we had a bitterly cold night and this morn¬ 
ing that miserably cold wind is with us. We still 
hang onto our winter clothing but suppose the time 
will come when we can wear thin clothing. The 
French ladies had khaki suits of a dark color, bloom¬ 
ers, skirt and coat, and said they had been most 
satisfactory for the trip all the way from Cairo. 

All along we have seen quantities of castor oil 
beans and it seems they make an oil from the bean 
which is used by the women for their hair. The 
hair dressing of the Nubian women is most elaborate 
and is such a job that it is done only once in three 
months. Altogether too complicated for me to at¬ 
tempt a description. 

A government steamer came along late yesterday 
afternoon and tied up ahead of us at Abu Simbel so 
that the 18 passengers (15 of them army officers) could 
go and see the Temple. It was so late and the dark¬ 
ness fast creeping on so they had to outline their 
route to and from the Temple with lights—electric 
for a way then candles and lamps for the rest of the 
way. Probably this party will be on the train with 
us for Khartoum as their steamer is now following 
close behind us. 

We started at a very early hour this morning and 
have stopped twice since to do some tinkering to the 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


35 



ARRIVAL OF THE TRAIN AT KHARTOUM 


machinery. They say we will get to Wady Haifa 
about noon and that our train will leave at 3 p.m. 

For the first time we are using on our mail the Su¬ 
dan stamps which I think are veritable works of art. 

Khartoum, December 13, 1912. 

Charles says I write too voluminous letters and 
I guess he is correct for the one I wrote you on the 
Prince Abbas was so fat it got stuck going into the 
mail box and they had to push it in with a stick. So 
from now on I will try to curb my pen or mail the 
letters oftener. This has been such an interesting 
trip from Wady Haifa and I think it is going to 
continue to be so farther on. 

We find delightful weather here. ’Twas pretty 
hot when we arrived at 4 p.m. yesterday. The hotel 
is a long way from the station but most charming 



36 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 



“GRAND HOTEL,” KHARTOUM 


when you finally get there. A big two-story bungalow 
with large garden front and back. It is right on 
the Blue Nile whose waters are very much clearer 
than those of the Nile proper. This hotel makes us 
think of those of India. We have a very pleasant 
suite, large sitting room overlooking the river, 
back of that a big bed room and off that a bath room 
with a high windowless window. No possible way of 
closing it up and so high that no one could look in. 
Evidently it is never cold enough to need to have it 
closed. On the east side we have a porch overlook¬ 
ing part of the garden. The bath room simply has 
a tub with hot and cold water. The toilets are in 
a separate building connected to the hotel by porches r 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


37 


Khartoum, December 14, 1912. 

Now I am going back to December 12 and tell 
you all about the trip here and the interesting things 
we saw. We arrived at Wady Haifa sooner than 
was predicted and the method of “docking” the 
boat was rather unique—there was no such thing as a 
dock so the boat ran its nose up into the mud. One 
of the sailors jumped into the water; the anchor was 
put on his shoulder and away he walked to the shore 
with it, and dug it into the dirt and we were anchored. 
A rope from the stern was tied to a post on shore. 
A gang plank was lowered and the deed was done. 
It was 11.30 a.m. when we went through this per¬ 
formance in front of Wady Haifa and then we went 
on shore for a few minutes. 

The view of Wady Haifa (commonly called Haifa) 
is really quite inviting as the one street of European 
habitations extends along the river front which is 
raised up on to quite an embankment and neatly 
covered with stone, while at intervals steps ascend 
from the river to the street, along which a row of 
lebbek trees give a comforting shade. Its appear¬ 
ance was neat if you can call a street with six inches 
of fine dust neat. But when you take into consider¬ 
ation that Wady Haifa had rain this year for the 
first time in 28 years you can excuse the dust. We 
returned to the boat for luncheon and ’twas really 
with a feeling of regret that we left the boat and the 
agreeable companions for it was one of the pleasant¬ 
est trips we’ve had. 


38 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 



SCENES AT WADY HALFA 










A BLACK MAN'S COUNTRY 


39 



KHARTOUM EXPRESS “DE LUXE” LEAVING WADY HALFA 


Our baggage was taken over at once to the depot, 
which is only a short distance from the boat landing, 
and placed in the compartments of the train but we 
did not go over until 2.30 p.m. There we found 
an excited crowd as is always the case. 

The train was a “de luxe" one, and all painted 
white with the descending shade blinds as in India. 
There were three sleeping cars, dining and kitchen 



SLEEPING CAR PLAN 


car, one first class carriage, one second class and sev¬ 
eral third and fourth class, the latter two were 
packed and jammed with natives. As there was 
no crowd in our class we each had a compartment. 
The names of the occupants are put on a card at 



















40 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


the side of the door. The compartments are not 
connecting and the lower berth runs from door to 
window, while the upper berth goes across the other 
way over the top of the windows. In our case the 
uppers were not used There are two windows in 
each compartment with violet tinted glass and by 
one window was a comfortable rattan chair. On the 
side opposite the berth was a stand and also a lav¬ 
atory. Toilets were at each end of the car which 
was of the corridor type. The train was vestibuled 
and electric lighted. On each berth lay two pillows, 
two sheets and two blankets and we used them all 
and I could have used another blanket but it was not 
offered. When it came time to make up the beds 
the Arab in his white gown with heavy winter over¬ 
coat on did the work. 

At 4 p.m. one of the waiters from the dining car 
came through the train beating a gong, announc¬ 
ing in that way that tea was being served either in 
the dining car or your compartment as desired. 

The dining car was the regulation one of this 
country and would accommodate 48 people at one 
sitting and there were not more than 30 first class 
passengers aboard. The kitchen was in a separate 
car. One end of this car had huge ice boxes in it 
also places for storing the bedding during the day. 
The meals were most excellent. Breakfast at 8 
o’clock (but coffee and rolls were served at 7 a.m. 
if desired), luncheon at 1 and dinner at 7.30. In¬ 
stead of paying for each meal at the time it was had 
every one signed a “chit” with name and number 


A BLACK MAN S COUNTRY 


41 


of berth and before getting to Khartoum an itemized 
bill was presented. 

Bringing our trunks with us was really a luxury 
as to get the two to Khartoum cost $20. After pay¬ 
ing such a bill you can thoroughly understand why 
the Englishman carries such a lot of hand baggage— 
some of the compartments having 8 or 10 pieces 
of baggage for which there was no extra charge. 

The train was far from rapid, not making more than 
25 miles an hour. Neither were they in a hurry when 
they did stop to move on again. All compartments 
had electric fans and two electric lights. Soap and 
towels were also furnished. 

We left Haifa promptly at 3 p.m. with a blinding 
hot sun pouring down upon us and at once plunged 
right into the desert, and desert it surely was— 
nothing but miles of restless yellow sand with not 
a sprig nor a hummock to break the monotony. The 
stations between Haifa and Abu Hamed were num¬ 
bered but after Abu Hamed they were named. The 
numbered ones simply consist of a brick station 
(where the station master lives) with the number 
in huge size above it and you cannot help but wonder 
how they manage to exist. Water, in most cases, 
has to be brought to them. At three of the stations 
water was found after boring 80 feet. 

The sunset was glorious and very highly colored, 
and we most thoroughly enjoyed it. 

We had been warned of the terrible dust so at 
night we covered up our clothes as much as possible 
and 1 in the morning realized the wisdom of it for there 


42 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


4 * 



ATBARA JUNCTION 


was a heavy coating of dust over everything. On 
leaving Haifa we struck straight into the desert 
and during the night reached Abu Hamed and from 
there on were within sight of the Nile most of the 
time. The next morning (Dec. 13) we arrived at 
Berber, an immense native town. Their houses of 
sun dried bricks stretched along the Nile for 5^ miles. 

At 7 a.m. we reached the thriving town of Atbara. 
It is the junction with the railroad line running to 
Port Sudan and consequently an important place 
where quite a number of English people live who are 
connected with the road. 

While at dinner the evening before, the conduc¬ 
tor came through and asked all if they wanted a 
bath at Atbara. We had sore need of it but were 
timid about trying it—only three people did. They 
had made the trip before. I was an interested spec- 



































A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


43 


tator as they left the train in their bath robes, walked 
the length of the station and crossed the dusty road to 
a big bath establishment where baths were ready and 
waiting for them having been ordered by telegraph 
—hot, tepid or cold as desired. We heard afterwards 
’twas a very clean place and the bath a delight. The 
train waited at Atbara 45 minutes so there was 
plenty of time. 

We were much interested in the natives that came 
down to the train. The Sudanese are a much better 
looking class of people than the Egyptians and cleaner 
too, or it may be that the dirt doesn’t show so plainly 
on their ace of spades skins. They are much taller 
than the Egyptians and carry themselves erect and 
look bright. 

I overheard some English people say that the 
last time they came to Khartoum they were caught 
in a sand storm between stations 1 and 2 and it took 
them 18 hours to go the 20 miles between those two 
stations. That may give you an idea of the volume 
of sand and its shifting propensities. 

In leaving Atbara we crossed the Atbara river, a 
large stream and to quote Baedeker “ between 
Khartoum and the Mediterranean, a distance of 
1900 miles, the Nile receives no addition to its 
supply of water except from the river Atbara.” Did 
you realize that? 

From Atbara we came into another sort of desert 
entirely—one of habitation. The native villages 
were quite numerous and there were signs of life all 


44 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


the way, even when no village was in sight. The 
vegetation was abundant, such as it was. There was 
a sort of bush like unto our tumble weed only very 
much larger which they seemed to use along the rail¬ 
road as a fence, when dried. Then there were the 
yuccas grown to good sized trees. And still another 
kind of bushy trees that grow in such abundance that 
they speak of them as thickets or forests. Yet another 
that seemed to have long thorns on it and appeared 
to be just leafing out. In it was a growth that, as we 
passed, seemed like unto our mistletoe. 

The natives dress in white as they do here and 
were in different states of nudity, the small children 
and babies in arms being entirely without clothes. 
The common dress seemed to be a long strip of white 
cloth put on much as you do the sheet in a turkish 
bath. Once in a while a skeleton was to be seen, 
animal I mean, and again the buzzards hovering 
over a spot showed that man or beast had gone to 
their long rest and the buzzards were at the feast. 

The graveyards we passed were thickly occupied, 
most of the graves being covered with carefully 
arranged pebbles and I wonder if the natives do 
that as we plant flowers over the resting place of 
those we love. The sheiks tombs were shaped like 
beehives. 

The donkey was everywhere and evidently fills 
a great want. We did not see many camels but 
those we did see were white and did not have the 
moth eaten look of those of Egypt. At Mitmer we 


A BLACK MAN S COUNTRY 


45 



ARTILLERY CAMELS 


saw a “Camel Corps/’—all white camels with red 
blankets under the saddles and the appearance 
was very gay. Goats there were by the thousands 
and most generally black—some standing on their 
hind legs trying to reach the tender bit that was 
just out o’ their reach on the trees. Herds of them 
from the gray-bearded great grandfather to the latest 
born with its still wobbly legs, were to be seen. 

In places this desert was covered with gravel and 
there were what we would call dry river beds. During 
July and August this section of the desert has ter¬ 
rific rains and the train schedule is lengthened half 
a day as they generally have to stop several times 
en route to repair the washed-out track. 

In the Nile were many islands covered with fine 
looking crops. Once we saw an ostrich majestically 
moving away from the train and while there was no 


46 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 



THE NEW NILE BRIDGE AT KHARTOUM 


habitation in sight yet he evidently was the property 
of some native who sold the feathers to those who 
took them to Cairo for us unsuspecting tourists. 

As you travel over this country, choking with the 
dust, burning with the heat and with sight almost ob¬ 
literated by the savage glare of the sun on the yellow 
sand, you more than ever realize, as has often been 
said, that the Sudan is not a white man’s country. 

The Arab in the car was continually walking back 
and forth with his feather duster hitting here and 
there keeping the dust continually stirred up. 

Surprising as it may seem we have not had a call 
from a flea since we came to Egypt. 

The olive drab khaki clothes of our soldiers is 
exactly the color of clothes one should have for this 
trip. The last two hours before we got here were 
most uncomfortable from the heat and dust. 




A BLACK MAN^S COUNTRY 


47 



BLUE NILE BRIDGE AT KHARTOX/al 


In passing Kabushiyeh we could plainly see the 
pyramids and the excavating camp of Meroe where 
some recent interesting finds have been made. 

At North Khartoum was a motley crowd of na¬ 
tives which we passed in approaching the recently 
built bridge over the Blue Nile. Here we crossed 























48 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 



NATIVES AT ATBARA JUNCTION 
COURTS OF JUSTICE, KHARTOUM 










. A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


49 





MARKETS AND MOSQUE, KHARTOUM 
GENERAL VIEW OF KHARTOUM 
LAW COURTS OF KHARTOUM 


/--» 

















50 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 



BRITISH BARRACKS, KHARTOUM 


and had a fine view of Khartoum proper as it stretches 
along the high embankment on the Blue Nile, then 
made a long detour across the sands skirting the 
edge of the city to the glaring, unprotected, uncov¬ 
ered railroad station. 

This morning we went to a store, a branch of one 
in Cairo, and bought our pith hats and some linen 
clothes. Khartoum is really not as much of a city as 
I had expected. There are some beautiful public 
buildings, pretty homes, and gardens here. While 
the population of the city is 70,000 yet there are 
probably only a few thousand of them white. 

The north wind blows strong but not cold, in fact 
it is the only time we’ve, been real warm since we 
landed. 

We went to see the steamboat people. The agent 
was charming and said he would put anything on the 





A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


51 


boat that we wanted. They carry plenty of “fizz” 
waters, but he will see that there is a case of Evain 
water on for us. He says there are mosquito nets 
in all the rooms but advises us to get mosquito boots. 
They are made of very thin leather, go right on over 
the regular shoes, come up above the knees and are 
for protection while we are sitting on deck. The boat 
will be in the first of the week. It docks on the other 
side of the river but the agent will take us over in 
his launch to see it and says we can pick out the 
rooms we want as there will be no crowd. 

They have a regular excursion boat on February 1, 
but we much prefer to go on the regular boat and 
see the native life. 

Last night they served dinner, at the hotel, out 
in the garden, nothing but the sand under our feet. 
Overhead were stretched many gaily colored electric 
lights and while the effect was very pretty the wind 
blew too strong for it to be altogether comfortable. 

Khartoum, December 15, 1912. 

Sometime you may have encountered a Nebraska 
wind and thought it was bad—well it was not a cir¬ 
cumstance to the one we are having here today. 
It’s literally something fierce and I’ve not stirred 
out. Charles started out for a walk and got as far 
as the front gate and was only too glad to come back. 
We have kept doors and windows tightly closed and 
yet everything is covered with a coating of sand. 
The waters of the Blue Nile are lashed to a fury with 
waves and white caps and we are told that at times 


52 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


this north wind blows with such violence as to make 
waves of such magnitude that they cause seasick¬ 
ness. I can well understand it. Fortunately it is 
neither a cold nor a hot wind. 

The maid tells me that when she came in October 
the dead heat was so great that perspiration ran 
down her face and body in streams—no wind then— 
they longed for it. It blows most of the time from 
December to March but not with such force as to¬ 
day. It usually subsides at night and things are 
then so quiet here that you can almost hear the still¬ 
ness and we sleep like logs. But in the early morn¬ 
ing (and often during the day) come sounds of the 
braying of the donkeys—the same “hee-haw” of 
our own. 

There is such a good story regarding it that I am 
going to copy it for you. “The bray of the ass is 
heard from morning until night in the Sudan. There 
is nothing in the known realm of sound that can 
equal that passionate protest from its highest note 
to the peaceful sob at the end. The Arabs tell a tale 
about it. f When the animals were first created/ 
they say, 1 the asses idled so much of their time away 
paying court to their lady loves that they neglected 
their work. In his anger Allah swore that there 
should never be any more she asses. Horrified at 
this, the donkeys lifted their voices and wept. Allah 
could not endure the noise. “For pity’s sake stop!” 
said he, “and I will take back what I have said.” 
The donkeys ended in a sigh of relief. But to this 
day they voice their feelings in the same manner. ’ ” 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


53 



“GRAND HOTEL,” KHARTOUM 


Had we known as much as we do now we would 
have sailed direct from Naples to Port Sudan, for 
we hear that there are good sized boats making the 
trip and we would have reached here in time to take 
the Blue Nile trip which is a two weeks’ trip and 
very interesting we are told, but navigation is closed 
up there now on account of low water. The trip 
from here to Rejaf, which is the one we are to 
take, is 1100 miles and when there we will be over 
9000 miles from home. 

It seems that Khartoum has made a most vigorous 
fight against mosquitoes and there is a heavy fine 
if one is found on any one’s premises. We’ve not 
seen nor heard one and while there are some flies 
yet none in comparison to Egypt. 

The landlord sent up two large bouquets this morn¬ 
ing, and in them such a lovely yellow flower, trumpet 






54 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


shaped, grows in clusters and is called “tacoma,” 
also something that looked like a sort of honey¬ 
suckle. Along the wall in front of the hotel, separat¬ 
ing the street from the front garden, is a high hedgS of 
this tacoma and oleanders, all in full bloom. Natur¬ 
ally this wind plays sad havoc with the blossoms. 

In front of the hotel, against the wall on the porch, 
is a billboard where each day the telegrams and other 
notices are posted. They are really quite interesting 
and at times amusing. We go regularly each morning 
to see what has been and is to be. Here is a typical 
sample. 


-DAILY BULLETIN- 

Friday, 13: December, 1912. 

-: o :- 

KHARTOUM 12, 12, 12. Passengers for North by express:— 
Mr. Clark to Port Sudan; Vicomte De Jen to Shellal, Mr. A. 
W. Skrine to Kareima; Family of Bimb: Amin Ahmed to 
Shellal. 

HALFA 12, 12, 12. Express on time. 

PASSENGERS:—Carr Bey, Major Forrest, Lieut: Worthing, 
Messrs. Waters & Ellis, Mr. and Mrs. Dietz, Mr. & Mrs. Abel 
Maguin, Mr. & Mrs. Fervos, Messrs Love, Dwinall, Mr. & Mrs. 
Bennett Dampier & Miss Blackhouse to Khartoum; Mr. Bonnici 
to AbuHamed. 

PORT SUDAN 12, 12, 12. By today’s mail for Khartoum:—Mr. 

Williams. 

S/S Neghileh arrived from Suez 9 a.m. 
S/S Almeria arrived from Suez 11.30 
a.m. 

S/S Mansoure sailed for Suez 4,15 p.m. 
DUEIM 12. 12. 12. Steamer, name unknown, passed Southwards 
6 p.m. 

KOSTI 12. 12. 12. S. G. S. Nasir proceeded South 9 a.m. 

S. G. S. Tamai proceeded South 4.45 p.m. 

S. G. S. Cario arrived from North 6 p.m. 




A BLACK MAN ? S COUNTRY 


55 


KODOK 12. 12. 12. S. G. S. Amara proceeded North 7.10 p.m. 
TAUFIKIA 12. 12. 12. S. G. S. Gedid proceeded South 10 p.m. 
MELUT 13. 12. 12. S. G. S. Amara proceeded North 2 a.m. 
WAU 12. 12. 12. S. G. S. Amka arrived from North at Meshra- 
el-Rek 6 a.m. 

ROSEIRES 12. 12. 12. Gunboat Sultan arrived from North 12.15 
p.m. 

Mail closing at Khartoum Post Office 
Today 6.00 p.m. for Obeid & Singa & intermediate stations. 
Tomorrow 8.00 p.m. for North and Kassala. 

NOTICES 

Khartoum Polo Club. 

The above Club will be “AT HOME” to their friends on 
the Polo Ground, Omdurman, on Friday, 13th, inst, when the 
Final for the Khartoum Challenge Cup, presented by the 60th. 
Rifles in 1907, will be played. 

Lady Wingate has kindly consented to present the cups to 
the winning team. 

In connection with the above, the S. G. Steamer “Lord 
Cromer” will leave the Post Office landing stage at 3 p.m. on the 
13th., to convey guests and players to Omdurman. 

Coldstream Guards Cup Tournament. 

The above Tournament will be played (under handicap) at 
Omdurman on the 26th, 28th and 30th. inst. 

Conditions governing this Tournament, together with a list 
showing Members’ handicaps, have been posted on the Notice 
Board of the Sudan Club. 

Entries should reach the Hon. Sec. (Capt: Poston) at the 
War Office, not later than Thursday, 19th. instant. 


The POLO pit at the Sudan Club has been completed, and 
is now at the disposal of Members of the Club. 

Khartoum Rifle Club 

The Annual General Meeting of the above Club will be held 
at the Law Courts on Friday the 20th: December, 1912, at 6.30 p.m. 
Members are asked to make every endeavour to attend. 











56 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


Nile Gauge Readings. 



Malakal 

Khartoum 

Roseires 


1911 

1912 

1911 

1912 

1911 

1912 

llth. Dec. 

11.97 

11.94 

12.13 

11.52 

13.23 

12.36 

12th. “ 

11.95 

11.94 

12.12 

11.52 

13.19 

12.34 

13th. “ 

- 

- 

12.12 

11.50 

- 

- 


Thermometer Readings. 

12. 12. 11. Maximum Temperature 86.2 F Minimum Temperature 
62.2 F 

12. 12. 12. Maximum Temperature 87.4 F Minimum Temperature 
60.8 F 

-/. 

PORT SOUDAN 13. 12. 12. S/S Almeria sailed for Bassora 10 
p.m. last night. 


General Post Office, Khartoum. 


Khartoum, December 16, 1912. 

We are again having a day of high wind and it 
is quite cool, the thermometer standing at 60°. 
After breakfast we started out for a walk and as I 
got to the front gate the wind took my dress skirt 
up above my waist (had it been the prevailing narrow 
skirt it could not have done so), blew my eyes full 
of dust and nearly carried away my hat, so I backed 
out and returned to my room, but Charles went on. 
While he was glad of the exercise yet he said he was 
a mass of sand. We are beginning to doubt the stories 
of hot weather, at this time of the year at least. 

There is one thing you cannot help having respect 
for—the Mohammedan and his religion. It makes 
no difference where he is—desert, street or reception— 
when the hour comes for him to pray, he prays re- 






A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


57 


gardless of his surroundings. We used to watch 
them on the boat going to Wady Haifa and yester¬ 
day I saw one say his prayers right out in front of the 
hotel, kneeling down in the dust, while his compan¬ 
ions went on with their chatter. 

Khartoum, December 17, 1912. 

It begins to look as if this wretched wind was a 
regular thing as it is blowing just as hard as ever this 
morning, and across the river on Tuti Island the air 
is a yellow sheet of sand but the natives doggedly 
plod along through it. 

Charles has taken a guide and gone to Omdurman 
this morning. He will probably be back at noon 
covered with sand no doubt. I did not go as I was 
a coward! An honest confession, etc., you know. 
We hear that you have to ride a donkey over there 
to get about as there are no carriages and as I am 
not an adept at that sort of thing I concluded to 
forego the sights. 

One thing I intended to tell you about when on the 
S.S. Prince Abbas —the great distances from which 
their provisions came. One day our dinner consisted 
of a soup made from Egyptian meat (perhaps donkey 
or camel), lamb chops from Australia (they were 
delicious), potatoes from Italy, the vegetable (veg¬ 
etable marrow) from Egypt, butter from Austria, 
bread made from American flour, water from Poland 
Springs and bananas from Syria. How’s that? Yes¬ 
terday we went to the postoffice and I was interested 
in the natives there. They are so much better and 


58 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 




NATIVE QUARTER, KHARTOUM 
DURRA MARKET LOOKING NORTH KHARTOUM 

smarter looking than the Egyptians, but evidently do 
not trust the ordinary mails for they were having 
most of it registered, and drew a blue pencil line 
all around the letters just as we mark our trunks. 





A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


59 



NATIVE CHILDREN, KHARTOUM 
NATIVE SHOP, KHARTOUM 

Later we drove through the native quarters and 
bazars. The latter were composed of grass mats over 
a frame work. There were several streets of them 
and they are not only shops but the people live right 



60 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


in them although many of them are not any larger 
than the covered cane seats on the sea shore and are 
really much like them, at night the seat being the 
bed. The canopy part is only raised about 3 feet 
above the seat. The wares are placed out in front, 
and all were useful articles, no trinkets, many being 
merely empty bottles. 

Then there was the native restaurant—a woman 
crouching in the six-inch-deep sand with several dishes 
or rather pans over charcoal around her. Here the 
natives came, bought what they wanted and, squat¬ 
ting right down in the sand, ate it, the food I mean, 
not the sand! The pans were all covered so I could 
not see what they contained. The guide said most 
of the natives lived that way and did no cooking at 
their shacks. Then there were also the restaurants 
for the “400,” in buildings of sun dried bricks with 
tables all over the dirt sidewalks as in Europe. They 
were crowded with men eating and drinking but I 
saw no women among them. 

The native woman is a light dresser. I saw many 
of them with no covering above the waist and only 
a strip of cotton cloth wound about them from the 
waist to the knees. No one seemed abashed and so 
we were not. 

There are, it seems, some 20 different tribes who 
have their villages a short distance out of Khartoum, 
but the sand between here and there is so deep a 
wagon cannot get there and donkeys have to be 
resorted to. 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


63 



SIRDAR AVENUE, KHARTOUM 

decided to get donkeys, if they can, but even they are 
pretty well taken up and expensive. We’ve seen 
some extremely good looking ones. It does look 
rather odd to us to see ladies and gentlemen in full 
evening dress cantering by on donkey back, with the 
regulation donkey boy running along behind, on 
their way to some dinner or evening function. I 
was told that there were only 54 English women 
living here but of course there are many English 
officers. There is a big settlement of Greeks, most 
of the merchants being of that nationality. It is 
said that the Greeks drop right down to the level 
of the natives and even lower. 







64 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 





KHEDIVE AVENUE, KHARTOUM 
WEST VIEW OF THE PALACE, KHARTOUM 


Landing as you do in Khartoum at the very ex¬ 
posed and most disappointing station, then wading 
through the deep sand to get to the carriages, etc., 






A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


65 


which await the new arrivals outside the gate of the 
railroad enclosure, you are surprised as you proceed up 
the Khedive Avenue which in time will be lovely 
as young trees have been planted each side. Then 
ahead of you rises the imposing statue of Gordon 
as he so tranquilly sits on his camel while the greens 
of the Sidar’s Palace form a most attractive back¬ 
ground. All the time we were in Khartoum I had 
such a thankful feeling to Gordon, for if it had not 
been for his gallant fight we would not dare to be 
here now. 

Our boat, the Amara, came in at 10 a.m., 24 hours 
late, due, I heard, to fighting this strong north wind. 
As soon as I found she was in I ran down, breasted the 
wind and dirt, to the landing dock which is almost 
in front of the hotel and was pleased with the looks of 
the boat. Doors of two rooms were open and the 
cabins looked large and comfortable. Up on top 
was a good sized mosquito-proof room where I sup¬ 
pose we will sit during the day. I wanted to go 
aboard but being alone did not have the courage, 
and then I was afraid that the stop was short, but 
they stayed an hour. Two barges were fastened 
ahead for freight, I suppose. Many bunches or 
rather parts of bunches of bananas hung about the 
deck. We are told that we will get fine ones up the 
river. One gentleman coming off the boat clad in 
a linen suit was shivering from the cold. With the 
wind and dirt I naturally did not linger long on 
the dock , which was a sand bank. 


66 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 



S.S. AMARA 

Returning to the hotel I met an officer whom I had 
seen come off the boat and I made bold enough to ask 
him of the trip. He said he felt sure we would enjoy 
it but by all means have mosquito boots. We had 
looked at the hot clumsy things and decided we 
would venture without them, but evidently they are 
necessary. The officer said that all other precau¬ 
tions were provided by the boat and we would be 
very comfortable. I was glad to hear that but for¬ 
got to ask about the heat. I really would like some 
for here I wear heavy clothes and am none too warm. 





GORDON STATUE, KHARTOUM 








68 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


The weather here, strange to say, affects my watch 
and my feet. The former loses time and the latter 
swell so that I can hardly get into my shoes. 

Our bathroom in the hotel is a joke. We can’t get 
any hot water and the manager explained the reason 
this morning. It seems they have an uncovered vat 
out in the open where they heat the bath water but 
in this high wind it will not heat at all. For a bath 
this morning the Arab brought hot water in pitchers 
one at a time, and before he could get back with the 
second pitcher the contents of the first which was in 
the tub was cold, and so it went on. Consequently, 
the bath consisted of a hurried and spluttering jump 
in and out. 

The name of the hotel manager is Bock. Charles 
told him of “our” Mr. Bock and he quickly replied 
“of course he’s nice, people of that name always are!” 

Mr. Bock has a large vegetable as well as flower 
garden connected with the hotel. Yesterday was 
pay day for the garden workers and not one of them 
returned today to work and won’t until every cent 
of their money is gone. He says the help question 
here is an awful one. All the waiters and maids he 
brings with him from the Continent and if they stay 
the season through he stands half of the expense of 
their getting here and back, otherwise they would 
leave too. 



VIEW FROM THE TRAM BETWEEN KHARTOUM AND THE JUNCTION 

OF THE NILES 

THE TRAM CENTRAL STATION 
THE CROWD AT THE TRAM 












70 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


Khartoum, December 18, 1912. 

This has been an ideal day, only breeze enough 
to keep us cool and of course bright sunshine and 
warm. Charles returned yesterday at noon having 
enjoyed his trip to Omdurman and not one donkey 
ride. It seems that, as a rule, when you want to go 
to the battlefields or outlying places you have to 
go on donkeys. While over there Charles hunted 
up Father Joseph Ohrwalder, a Catholic priest, who 
came to the Sudan some thirty years ago and in the 
big Mahdi wars here about 1882 he was taken pris¬ 
oner and for ten years was kept as a slave by the 
Mahdi and was treated most atrociously. He has 
written a book giving a very graphic account of his 
life during those trying years and one’s blood runs 
cold to read it. 

This morning Charles and I repeated his trip of 
yesterday and I was very much interested in it all. 
At 8.30 a.m. we walked to the street back of the hotel 
and took what they called the “ tram.” It is a narrow 
gauge affair—small steam engine pulling six open 
cars. It took us over the uninteresting mile or more 
down to the point where the ferry was awaiting us. 
Such a motley crowd—one that had just come across 
from Omdurman and was waiting to board our 
tram. Our crowd was equally motley. After the 
passengers got aboard the boat then freight and ani¬ 
mals were brought, enticed and forced on. Finally 
all was done and off we swung and soon were where 
the White and Blue Niles join, a most interesting 
sight. The Blue Nile is what we would call clear 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


71 



THE FERRY FROM KHARTOUM TO OMDURMAN 


water while the water of the White Nile is of a yellow 
muddy color. For some distance the water of the 
two rivers run side by side without mixing at all 
but gradually begin to mix, although the waters of 
the White Nile do not entirely swallow up those of 
the Blue Nile and completely change its color until 
they have passed below Omdurman. 

It is only a short ride across to Omdurman or 
rather to a sand bank where we landed and then a 
short walk brought us to a duplicate of the tram from 
Khartoum, on which we took the ride of something 
over a mile through one village after another. To me 
it seemed one continuous village but we were told 
that they each have a different name. It seems 
that Omdurman and its adjoining villages have some 
35,000 inhabitants, all natives, and their houses are 







72 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 




VIEW FROM THE LANDING AT OMDURMAN 
“OMDURMAN CENTRAL” 


all of sun dried brick. There are a few English officers 
living in Omdurman who have charge of the place 
and the native soldiers. 

In due time we arrived at what I called the Public 
Square but they called it “ Omdurman Central.” 





A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


73 


There we alighted amid another motley crowd. 
Father Ohrwalder coming along we joined him and 
went to his house, through a dusty sandy road lined 
with one story houses made of sun dried bricks and 
found Father Ohrwalder’s house a duplicate of the 
others but with a most attractive garden which was 
such a rest to the eyes. Here we had half an hour’s 



FATHER JOSEPH OHRWALDER 

most interesting visit with him. He is an Austrian, 
tall and gaunt. He has a school of native boys, 
stupid looking lads. In his book he does not speak 
of his marriage, but other accounts say he was forced 
to marry a native and had children whom he sup¬ 
ports but does not live with. Because of his marriage, 
the Church forbade his saying mass, so he can only 
be a teacher—and on such barren soil. I should 





NATIVE MARKET SCENES AT OMDURMAN 










MILITARY HOSPITAL, KHARTOUM 
NATIVE MARKET SCENE, KHARTOUM 
EGYPTIAN OFFICERS’ CLUB, KHARTOUM 

75 




76 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 



A BAZAR AT OMDURMAN 
HAIR DRESSING AT OMDURMAN 

think he would hate to live in the country where he 
had suffered so cruelly. But probably he feels he 
can do a good work here. When Roosevelt was here 
he went over and called on Father Ohrwalder and 



A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


77 


so of course we had to! However, I was greatly in¬ 
terested in meeting him. Among other things he 
said that the Sudanese were a much better, brighter 
and cleaner people than the Egyptians. 

After the call we “did” some of the bazars— 
wretched places—and I couldn’t be interested in 
them, but the Sudanese men, giants in stature and 
black as the ace of spades, did interest me very much. 
The women were not so good looking, probably 
because they have all the hard work to do, but they 
were extremely straight as they carried their bur¬ 
dens on their heads. The love of personal adornment 
is evidently as strong with these native women as 
with all women of other nationalities but their 
method of showing it is somewhat different. The 
operation of hair dressing, which was done in full 
view of every one, was specially interesting to me. 

It was 12.30 when we got back to the hotel hot 
and tired but the good lunch and a rest straightened 
us out so that in the afternoon we took the ride along 
the embankment, as they call the river front. Here 
are situated all the beautiful homes of the English 
people living here. Each place along the river front 
has its own sakiyeh, or water wheel which is busy 
the livelong day pumping up water for the yards. 

We passed the Palace, the Egyptian Officers Club, 
Military Hospital, and saw Slatin Pasha’s home with 
its very beautiful garden. He too was a slave here 
for many years during the Mahdi’s time and has 
written an account of it. Just now he is out of the 
city or we would call on him. Our destination was 


78 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 



VIEW OF THE PALACE AT KHARTOUM FROM THE WEST 
EMBANKMENT AT KHARTOUM 
PALACE AT KHARTOUM 


















A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


81 


Gordon College—a splendid institution for the 
natives in Arabic and English. They have 500 stu¬ 
dents who are being fitted for teachers, engineers and 
other callings. Everything looked nice and clean. 
We visited the dormitories and were on the point 
of departure when Mr. Currie, the Director General 
came and invited us back to his office where we had 
an interesting half hour’s talk with him. He was 
full of our Wisconsin college, the report of which 
had just reached him and he was kind enough to 
say that he thought it a wonder. 

Returning from the college we drove into the city 
and purchased the dreaded mosquito boots and then 
to the English Pharmacy, a really fine drug store, 
and laid in a supply of such things as we are likely to 
need on the White Nile trip. As this letter is quite 
long enough I’ll close fearing that I might again 
block the mail. 


Khartoum, December 19, 1912. 

This has been a charming day and we really got 
‘‘het ” up. This morning we went with the steamship 
agent in his launch across the river (Blue Nile) to 
Khartoum North where the boats dock and take on 
fuel (wood), provisions, etc. He took us over the 
A mar a and showed us the rooms we are to have and 
we were very much pleased to find the cabins of the 
Amara larger than those on the boat to Wady Haifa 
so we will have no trouble about keeping our trunks in 
our room. We are to have two rooms or cabins 
on the east side going up and the Captain has orders 


82 A WHITE WOMAN IN 



RIVER BANK, KHARTOUM NORTH 
ENGLISH PHARMACY, KHARTOUM 


to change us to corresponding cabins as we come 
down if we so desire. They have put on two cases of 
Evain water (48 bottles to the case) besides the “ fizz 
waters. The dining room is also the sitting room. 








A BLACK MAN'S COUNTRY 


83 



SUDAN GOVERNMENT STEAMERS AT KHARTOUM NORTH 


Up “top side" is a space about 20 feet square, just 
over the bath rooms, enclosed with wire screens, and 
with awnings that stretch out at the sides. Here is 



PLAN OF S. S. AMARA 


where I think we will spend most of the time as the 
view from here is uninterrupted. The windows to 
the cabins have screens and he said there would be a 



































84 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


mosquito bar to the bed although there was none 
today. The Captain said “be sure to take plenty 
of warm clothing for the nights are bitterly cold and 
often the days are too.” So we may not suffer at 
all from heat until we get home. 

Unfortunately the passenger list of the Amara is 
chuck full, largely with English officers going part 
way up for a hunt. They will arrive on the train 
tomorrow afternoon. As far as I could learn I am 
the only woman and the men will wish me any¬ 
where else. 

They don’t know how many passengers there will 
be coming down. The steamship people say they 
think we are very wise to take the regular trip as we 
will see so much more of the native life and their 
habits, and then they laugh. I suppose we will 
see men, women and children clad in the suits they 
wore when born. 

As we came back in the launch an American came 
with us, the Rev. Mr. McCreery of the American 
Mission on the Sobat river. He is a young man, 
from Colorado, tall and strong, and we had a very 
pleasant visit with him. Charles asked him about 
American papers and he said he would like any we 
had so Charles made up a bundle and sent them to 
his dahabeah which is tied up only a few steps from 
the hotel. In a short time came back a small book, 
’twas the Gospel of John that he had translated into 
the Shilluk language. It is the first book ever printed 
in that language and is used as a textbook in teaching 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


85 


the people of that tribe to read. At 5 p.m. the Rev. 
Mr. McCreery came over and wanted us to go with 
him to the dahabeah and meet his wife and babies. 
We were only too glad to do so and had a most 
charming hour with them during which we had tea. 
Their dahabeah is their home wherever they live. 
It is not bigger than a “minute” but so arranged 
that every inch is utilized. We first went into what 
I called the back porch. The kitchen was very small 
but answered their purpose; toilet room opposite it, 
then a narrow passageway to the room where they 
evidently eat, sit and hang their clothes. They had 
a sewing machine, bookcase, chiffonier, etc., in it 
with a shelf running about above the top of your 
head, for storage purposes. Out in front was another 
porch all screened in, with a sanitary couch on one 
side and on the other a baby’s iron bed, two chairs 
and a table. A trap door in the floor made me think 
that there was a room of some sort down there. It 
probably answers to our cellar. Up on top they had 
their beds and always sleep there at night. They 
have a frame work that canvas can be stretched 
over when wanted and mosquito bars for the beds. 
They also had a lot of things stored up on top. She 
was a very pleasant young woman from Pittsburgh, 
came to the Mission six years ago. They were 
married out here, he having been here eleven years. 
They have two boys, the oldest two and a half 
years and the other eleven months. Nice healthy 
children which she attributes to their drinking 


86 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


goats milk which it seems most white children won’t 
do. They had two coops of chickens with them and 
said they were the greatest comfort. They also had 
two servants, two dogs and were extremely comfor¬ 
table. She and the children have been in Khartoum 
for nearly a year because there was a disturbance 
among the natives near the Mission and he evidently 
felt safer to have his family away but he thinks it is 
now safe for them to return. Their dahabeah is to 
be attached to a dredging boat that leaves here soon 
and will be carried up near to their station. It seems 
that the steamship people have a regular price for 
towing up the dahabeahs of the missionaries. When 
they can’t be towed they have to get along with oars 
and poling. In his rounds Roosevelt visited them and 
was entertained by this couple and I think their 
picture is in his book. A surprise to me was that 
they do all of their purchasing from a Chicago mail 
order house, even to lumber used at the Mission. 

Mr. McCreery and another man missionary are 
soon to go 200 miles further up the Sobat river to 
establish a mission among the Nuer tribe and Mr. 
McCreery is now trying to master that language so 
he can write “John” in it. While he is on this trip 
his wife and family will stay at the Doleib Mission 
with the other missionaries and he will take the 
dahabeah with him to live in. They said they got 
homesick to see Americans and seemed to enjoy us as 
much as we did them. He showed us how he worked 
out the language and we were intensely interested in 
it all. We had to laugh (to ourselves) at a remark by 


87 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 



THE AMERICAN MISSION ON THE SOBAT RIVER 







88 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


Mr. McCreery. On being asked if he agreed with 
the majority of the people that the English were 
overeducating these natives, he answered quickly 
that he certainly did feel that way and felt sure that 
the English would yet have to suffer for it. And 
yet that is just what he is doing among the tribes 
further south. The Shilluks, whom he is working 
among, are considered among the most mora of all 
the tribes and yet all sexes go entirely naked. Mrs. 
McCreery told me that these tribes have no word for 
hell or devil and no need for it so the natives think. 
But the missionaries think differently and so are 
working hard to sow doubt in the minds of the 
savage—a mistake I think—but then we don't all 
think alike, thank goodness! 

Charles saw a woman on the street being congrat¬ 
ulated by her friends and her own face was beaming 
because her husband had died while on a pilgrimage 
to Mecca. 

We have nine guests at this hotel now. No crowd, 
surely, but more are expected on the train tomorrow 
afternoon when we hope for mail. 

Tomorrow is the natives’ Sunday and all their 
shops and all of the government offices will be closed, 
the latter because the clerks are natives. Then 
the English close up all their shops on the regular 
Sunday and the government offices of course are 
closed so to us they seem to have a good many 
closed days. 

Khartoum has mosquito inspectors who continually 
go about hunting for the stagnant pools that breed 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


89 


mosquitoes and if found the people are heavily 
fined. We certainly have neither seen nor heard a 
mosquito and but few flies. They are making a 
strenuous war on them and at every place can be 
seen posted the following: 

Sanitary Notice 


Flies 

Flies mean filth. They often mean local filth; in 
other words, where there is an accumulation of filth 
there shall the flies be gathered together. Are you 
aware that a single female fly lays 120 eggs in one 
batch and during the year she may lay four such 
batches? Taking, however, only one batch, let 
us say that half of the flies which hatch out, i.e. 60 
are females. 

Provided the progeny of these 60 females and that 
of succeeding generations all reached maturity, the 
original mother fly would in six months become the 
ancestress of no less than 5,598,720,000,000 adult 
flies. You are at liberty to make the complete cal¬ 
culation for all four batches and to reflect upon what 
this means. 

Are there large numbers of flies about your prem¬ 
ises? If so, why? Do you inspect your kitchen and 
stable regularly? You have already been informed 
about flies and asked to help in destroying them. 
You can use a fly trap, fly-flap or fly paper. At the 
same time rely chiefly on preventive cleanliness 



90 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


and kindly notify the Sanitary Service if you are 
worried by flies. 

Medical Officer of Health, 
Khartoum. 

Now will you be good and swat the fly! 

We have been wonderfully interested in watching 
the loading of the two government transports which 
was done out in front of the hotel. I do not know 
how many native soldiers went, but besides the two 
steamers on which the officers went there were two 
big barges to one steamer and four to the other. We 
saw 40 camels put on board and such a time as they 
had to get them on. One man pulled at the halter 
while about twenty natives pushed and even lifted 
the legs of the camel forward while the beast bellowed 
with fright. Then there were several hundred don¬ 
keys pushed on, and I could not help but feel sorry 
for the little beasts for they told us that probably 
all of them would die up there as they cannot stand 
the wet country to which they are bound. Charles 
tersely said “the Sudan is neither a white man’s 
nor a donkey’s country.” With these animals were 
all the pack outfits, food, baggage of the men and 
one hundred and one other things. It seems that 
wherever these Sudanese soldiers go they demand that 
their wives go also and they were on with all their 
plunder. They finally got off this afternoon amid great 
applause and cheers from the many natives on shore. 
We were interested spectators. 

Only once since we landed at Alexandria have I heard 
the cry for “bakhshish’’and that was at Wady Haifa. 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


91 


It seems that the government is trying to stop it and 
we’ve seen many notices asking the traveling public 
to help in the good work by giving no money. Here 
is the Sudan notice posted conspicuously everywhere. 

“ Bakhshish” 

Important Notice 

Travellers while in the Sudan, are particularly re¬ 
quested to refrain from gaining an easy reputation for 
generosity by giving money to children, beggars, or 
other persons who have not earned it. 

At present the population of the Sudan has not 
been demoralized by indiscriminate almsgiving, 
but it will not require much of this to make the de¬ 
mand “ bakhshish” as importunate and annoying to 
travellers as in Egypt itself, and to cause a consider¬ 
able number of natives to forsake the paths of honest 
industry for the unwholesome existence of preying 
upon others. 

His Excellency the Governor General trusts that 
all travellers will consider this as a personal request 
from himself and at the same time would inform them 
that if they desire to give any money for the benefit 
of the inhabitants, that contributions for hospitals 
or relief of deserving cases amongst the poorer 
classes, will be carefully administered by the Gov¬ 
ernors, and that he himself will gratefully receive 
contributions for what is the Sudan’s greatest need, 
viz.: Education. 

By order of the Governor-General 
Khartoum. 


92 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


Khartoum, December 20, 1912. 

Another day of charming weather, and it is good 
to get thoroughly warmed through, before we start 
on the trip that every one warns us will be very 
cold, and here was where we had expected to roast. 

The boy about the hotel who acts as dragoman or 
interpreter, when wanted, is a Nubian, born in Assuan. 
He goes in summer to Lucerne to the Schweitzer 
Hof to serve and make Turkish coffee. He told 
Charles he was married at 18 to a girl of 10, but that 
now he had divorced her by writing. 

At Omdurman there were many women on the river 
bank washing vegetables and at the same time they 
took a bath themselves and washed their clothes. To 
dry them they held them high above their heads and 
the wind and sun did the rest. The clothing con¬ 
sisted of a long piece of dark blue muslin which they 
drape about the waist, being nude above the waist 
line and below the knees. 

Later. We have just been over and again in¬ 
spected the Amara. She came into the dock right 
here at the hotel this afternoon. Everything looks 
so nice and clean and we are more than delighted 
with our rooms. There are two berths in every 
room, but the upper is only used in emergency. How¬ 
ever, it is left down and serves as a shelf for packages 
etc., and also for a frame to fasten the mosquito bar 
to and they are all up, the beds made and they look 
clean and comfortable. There is a washstand like 
those in ocean steamers, a table fastened to the 
wail is really a shelf that can be up or down as you 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


93 


wish, and a camp stool. On the wall at the foot of 
the bed are a number of hooks for hanging up clothes. 

I am the only lady, but there are thirteen men, all 
the boat can accommodate for meals and then it is 
crowded in the dining room. All are not to make the 
full trip. They get off at different places. We are 
the only persons who go up and back with the boat. 
It seems they push instead of pull the barges. We 
are to push two double deckers of freight and natives, 
and have at one side what is called the postoffice barge 
for mail and second class passengers. Mail is put 
off at every station and picked up by the boats com¬ 
ing down so we can mail letters every two or three 
days. 

S.S. Amara, December 21, 1912. 

We have a nice day to start off. There is a north 
wind blowing but not very stiff yet, it may be later 
on. Mr. Sefton, who is in charge of the S.S. Amara 
told us yesterday that early tea or coffee was from 
6 a.m., breakfast (with eggs, meat, etc.) was at 8 
o’clock, lunch at 1, tea at 4, and dinner at 7.30. I 
shall take my coffee at 7 o’clock (probably in my 
room), and miss the 8 and 4 o’clock services. 

List of First Class Passengers Traveling Per 
Sudan Government Steamer “Amara” 

Dec. 21, 1912. 

Mr. and Mrs. Dietz Bimbashi (Capt.) Gib- 

Lieut. J. E. Tennant son 

Lieut. Sir I. Colqu- Bimbashi (Capt.) Hud- 

son-Kinahan 


houn 


94 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


Lieut. I. D. Macindoe 
Bimbashi (Capt.) H. V. 
V. Kyrke 

Bimbashi (Capt.) H. M. 

Craigie-Halkett 
Bimbashi (Capt.) C. V. 
Fox 


Capt. Champion de 
Crespigny 

Lieut. W. Middleton 
Rev. Mr. Davies 
Mr. Thomas 


Mr. G. C. M. Sefton, whose official title is Engineer, 
I should call Captain as he has entire charge of every¬ 
thing on the boat. 

Such is the list of people we are to have on board. 

Later: This is most charming—slowly working our 
way up the Nile. We came on board at 8.45 a.m. 
and I at once got things out of my satchel and trunk 
preparatory to the three weeks’ stay on board and 
then went on deck to watch the loading of the barges 
or “nuggers” as they call them. Such a motley lot 
of things as were put on; men, women, children, 
donkeys, camels, chickens, turkeys, feed, wood and 
freight of all kinds. 

After Charles got me on board he went up town 
and got a few more things that he thought necessary. 
We were booked to leave at 10 a. m. but it was 10.50 
before we really got off and wended our way down 
the Blue Nile to the junction of the two rivers, al¬ 
ways an interesting sight—the mingling or rather 
non-mingling of the waters, and on over to Om- 
durman where a more motley, if possible, collec¬ 
tion awaited us and such a time as they had getting 
everything aboard. We also took on the mail boat 


A BLACK MAN ? S COUNTRY 


95 



TONGA 


and a second class barge and quite a number of Sudan¬ 
ese soldiers, well armed, who go to protect us, and to 
add to this varied collection a crazy black girl who 
was brought to Omdurman for help but the doctor 
pronounced her incurable so she is being sent back to 
her tribe with a negro or black woman in charge. 
There are two young missionaries on board returning 
to the Episcopal mission at Malek, about 1000 miles 
up the river and as the crazy girl goes there they 
promised to keep an eye on her but said to us that 
they would not assume any responsibility for if she 
jumped overboard they could not help it, which of 
course was true. 



96 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 



FORESHORE AT OMDURMAN 


It was 1.50 p.m. wdien we finally got away from 
Omdurman and we were at the luncheon table—a 
long table being set in the dining room seating 12 
of us, while the two missionaries sat out on the deck 
at a table with Mr. Sefton. All but the missionaries 
and ourselves are English officers, most of them bound 
for a shoot as they call it. However, some are being 
transferred to other stations. 

It was very evident that I, a woman and an inde¬ 
pendent American one at that, was a damper to 
their spirits. All were in their khaki uniforms and 
boiling hot but naturally they felt they must remain 
dressed up. We had a splendid luncheon and as 
soon as it was over I left and then the men stretched 
their legs, opened their coats, smoked and had 
coffee. Charles brought mine to my room. Being 



A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


97 


KHARTOUM-RE J A F 


Twice in each Month throughout the year 


UP STREAM 


DOWN STREAM 


STATIONS. 


DAY 

OF 

MONTH 


HOUR 


ARRIVAL 


DEPAR¬ 

TURE 


STATIONS. 


Day 

of 

MONTH 


HOUR 


ARRIVAL 


DEPAR¬ 

TURE 


Khartoum 
•Omdurman 
Geteina 
Dueim 
Rav?a... 

Kosti... 

White Nile Bridge 
Wood Station 
Gebelein 
Wood Station 

Renk. 

GebelAhmed Agha 
Wood Station 
Kaka ... 

Melut ... 

Kodok 
Loul ... 

Malakal 
Tauflkia 
Wood Station 
^5araf Mouth 

Tonga. 

Mouth of Gebel 
Zeraf New Cut 
"Shambt? 

Wood Station 

Bor .. 

Malek. 

Wood Station 
•Gigging 
Mongalla 

Lado ... • ... 
Gondokoro ... 
Rejaf. 


6 

6 

6 

7 

8 
8 
8 
8 
8 
9 
9 

10 

10 

10 

11 

11 

11 

12 

12 

12 

Id 

13 

13 

15 

16 

17 

18 
IS 
18 
19 

19 

20 
20 
20 
20 


21 

21 

21 

22 

23 

23 

23 

23 

23 

24 

24 

25 
25 
25 
20 
20 
20 
27 
27 

27 
23 

28 
2S 
30 

1 

2 

3 

3 

4 
4 

4 

5 
5 
5 
5 


11.00 

10.30 

5.00 

2.00 

1.00 

2.00 


a. in 

p.m. 

p.m 

a., in. 

p.m. 

p.m. 


Midnight 

0.30 p.m. 
7.30 a.m. 

10.00 p.m. 
3.00 a.m. 
3.00 p.m. 
11.00 p.m. 
7.00 a.m. 
10.30 a.m. 

0.00 a.m. 
9.00 a.m. 
7.00 p.m. 

Noon 
9.00 a.m. 

0.00 a.m. 
2,00 a.m. 

6.00 a.m. 
5.00 p.m. 

Noon 

5.0 p.m. 


10.00 a.m 
Noon 
11.00 p.m 
9.00 p.m, 

2.30 a.m, 

1.30 p.m 
Pass 

Pass 

8.00 p.m. 
Pass 

10.30 p.m. 

3.30 a.m. 
7..00 p.m. 

8.00 a.m. 

2.30 p.m. 


10.00 a.m 
Pass 
Pass 
Noon 

10.00 a.m. 
2.30 p.m. 

7.00 a.m. 

5.00 a.m. 
Pass 


Rejaf... 

Gondolcoro ... 

Lado. 

Mongalla 

Gigging 
Wood Station 

Malek. 

Bor . 

Wood Station 
Sham be 
Zeraf New Cut 
Mouth of Gebel 
Tonga 

Zaraf Mouth 
Wood Station 
Tauflkia 
Malakal 
Loul ... 

Kodok 
Melut 
Kaka ... 

Wood Station 
Gebel Ahmed Agha 

Renk. 

Wood Station 
Gebelein 
Wood Station 
White Nile Bridge . 

Kosti. 

Kawa. 

Dueim . 

Geteina . 

Omdurman ..J 
Khartoum . 


21 

21 

21 

21 

22 

22 

22 

22 

23 

23 

24 

25 

26 
26 
26 
26 
27 
27 
27 

27 

28 
28 
28 
29 
29 

29 

30 
30 
30 
30 
30 
30 

1 

2 

•> 


6 

6 

6 

6 

7 

7 

7 

7 

8 
8 
9 

10 

11 

11 

11 

11 

12 

12 

12 

12 

13 

13 

13 

14 
14 

14 

15 
15 
15 
15 
15 

15 

16 
17- 
17 


4.00 p.m. 
7.00 p.m. 

11.30 p.m. 

2.00 p.m. 

Midnight 

3.30 a.m. 

10.00 a.m. 
5.00 a.m. 
Noon 

7.30 p.m. 

10.30 p.m. 

7.00 a.m. 
10.00 a.m. 
4. 30p.m. 

8.30 p.m. 
2.00 p.m. 
6.00 p.m. 

5.00 a.m. 
2.00 p.m. 

5.00 a.m. 

11.00 a.m. 

11.30 a.m. 
5.00 p.m. 

11.00 p.m. 
3.00 p.m. 
6.00 a.m. 
8.00 a.m. 


10.00 a.m. 
5.0 p m. 
Pass 

6.00 a.m. 
2.30 p.m. 

12.30 a.m. 
7.00 a.m. 

Noon 

Pass 

Pass 

8.00 p.m. 


9.00 a.m 
11.00 a.m 
5.00 p.m 
11.00 p.m 
3.00 
7.00 


p.m. 

p.m. 


Pass 
3.00 p.m. 

Pass 

Pass 

Noon 

5.30 p.m. 
11.30 p.m. 

3.30 p.m. 
7.00 a.m. 


When the mouth has more or less than thirty days, the days of the month In this table must 
be correspondingly modified. 

This time-table is approximate and will be adhered to as far as possible, but the Director of 
Steamers can accept no responsibility for any variation or alteration. 

The stoppages at the wood-stations and any other additional stoppages are at the discretion* 
of the Engineer-in-Charge. 

A Special Tourist Steamer will leave Khartoum on Feb. 1st for Rejaf. 

Fares •- 1st class inch food. Khartoum to Rejaf £.st. 36.10.6 

Rejaf ,, Khartoum,, 31.5.6 





































98 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


stationed out here and seeing so much of this country 
these men can’t see why we came and one young fel¬ 
low told me he thought we would be terribly bored 
with the monotony; and perhaps we will but it 
doesn’t seem so now. 

Right after lunch the men, except the mission¬ 
aries, got into easy cool clothes, white trousers and 
shirt with low collar or none, and have been lying 
about the deck, sleeping, reading, smoking, etc. 

I have been sitting in the doorway of my cabin 
where I now am. We were given a timetable of 
arrival and departure of the boats up and down the 
river and I’m wondering if this is going to be like 
a railroad train—right on the dot. You will see they 
make allowances for more or less than the 30-day 
months. 

The river is very wide, so much so that you really 
need to have field glasses to see to the shores. It is 
fully three times as wide as the Missouri river at 
Omaha. The banks have been low with good vege¬ 
tation, many trees and worlds of ducks, pelicans, 
flamingoes and other birds. The hunters on board 
were wild to get to the ducks. 

The sunset was most beautiful and we went “top 
side” and enjoyed it from the mosquito house which, 
as yet, is not needed to keep mosquitoes away. 

Most of the officers have put their cots on the top 
deck of the boat and will sleep there in the open, and 
they say that about 2 a.m. it will be bitterly cold. It’s 
pleasantly cool now. The moon is up and to the 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


99 



COTS ON TOP DECK OF THE AMARA 

east gives its cold light, while to the west the warm 
light of the setting sun tinges the sky. 

There are two regular boats on this trip between 
Khartoum and Rejaf, their sailing dates from each 
place being the 6th and 21st of each month. 

S.S. Amara, December 22, 1912. 

Had a very good night’s rest with only a sheet for 
covering. Charles was not so comfortable and may 
eventually join the Englishmen on the top deck. At 
6.30 a.m. I had my bath in hot dirty water, by dirty 
I mean in color only. While I felt refreshed I can’t 
say that I felt really clean. At 7 a.m. the Arab 
brought me a cup of coffee, but it was Turkish (I 
forgot to say that I wanted French coffee). I like the 
Turkish after meals but not for the early morning. 


100 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


However I let it go this morning and Mr. Sefton 
will see that I have the other from now on. They 
brought tea to Charles but he went to the dining 
room at 7.30 and had regular coffee, toast and marma¬ 
lade. The other passengers had a regular cooked 
breakfast of several courses at 8 o’clock. 

The dining room is so small that eight would crowd 
it so you can imagine what twelve do. Yester¬ 
day afternoon I gently hinted to Mr. Sefton that if 
it would help him out any Charles and I would be 
quite willing to take an earlier dinner. He fairly 
jumped at it and will give us our dinner at 6.30 after 
which we will repair to the mosquito house for our 
coffee and bout at cards. The Englishmen expressed 
many thanks to us as they all went in to dinner in 
their shirt sleeves, no collars, sleeves rolled up and 
had a jolly informal time of it. When we came down 
at 9 p.m. they were still at it. 

Knowing the Englishman’s predilection in tropical 
countries for going on deck in the early morning in 
their pajamas and other undress, I told Mr. Sefton 
to please tell them all that I would not only have my 
early coffee in my cabin but would remain there 
until 8 o’clock, thus giving the gentlemen the free 
use of the entire decks. From the screams of laugh¬ 
ter and jollying that were wafted to my ears this 
morning I think that they realized that I was a 
woman of my word and took advantage of it. How¬ 
ever, they were nice enough to all congregate on 
the opposite side of the deck from my room for their 
shaving and other operations thus giving me a chance 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


101 


to leave my door open to enjoy the morning air 
and scenery. 

The moon last night was so gorgeous that I sat 
at my door for quite a while and enjoyed it. One of 
the first things that I heard this morning was the 
crowing of the roosters for they bring all their fowls 
along, chickens, pigeons and turkeys, the latter for 
our Christmas dinner. 

It is interesting and amusing to see the method of 
keeping the bottled waters and beer cold. On each 
side of the forward deck are two huge earthen jars, 
called zeers, filled with the Nile water and into these 
jars the bottled waters are put, trusting to evapora¬ 
tion for the coolness, and when these jars are kept 
in the shade the water does become very cool but 
here the sun is on them all day long so there is not 
much coolness about them. Sometimes these zeers 
are in a latticed enclosure which does help to 
keep the sun off some. At Khartoum the govern¬ 
ment has an ice making plant and we heard asked 
exorbitant prices for the ice. Of course it would be 
out of the question for them to carry ice enough for 
the round trip, so they don’t carry any. One of the 
Englishmen told us that there was now on the market 
a small ice plant for private use, costing $50 and no 
doubt they will soon install them on these boats. 
They take all the bread they can carry from Khar¬ 
toum and it is excellent bread. This lasts them for 
about 300 miles until they get to a place where they 
can lay in another supply. After that they make 
their own bread on board and Mr. Sefton shook his 


102 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


head when telling of it so I imagine it may not be 
so good. The food so far has been excellent. 

The natives on the barges or nuggers do their own 
cooking. There is a common stove, or what I would 
call an iron bench, on which three fires can be kept 
going at one time. They have to take turns in doing 
their cooking and it is interesting to watch them. All 
bring on a pile of their dhurra bread which looks like 
a corn pone the size of a dinner plate. This they pile 
anywhere as dirt seems to have no terrors for them. 
Then they make what looks like a stew, but of what 
I know not. They cut open their bread, fill it with this 
stew using the lower half of the bread for the dish, 
break the upper half into pieces and sop up the stew. 
By the time the upper half is gone they can eat the 
other piece right down without spilling or losing any 
of the liquid. They drink the Turkish coffee in¬ 
cessantly and there is always a company making 
it. They seem to do it in parties. First they brown 
the berry, then pound it to a fine powder and then 
make the coffee. It requires nearly an hour to do 
it and in the meantime the party sits about the fire on 
their haunches and they talk, talk, talk. The coffee 
is brewed in an open tin saucepan, and when cooked 
to exactly the right point is carefully poured into an 
earthen jar shaped like what we call a water bottle, 
which seems to vary in size to suit the party. Then 
this is put back on the fire to sizzle a few minutes. 
The mouth of the jar is then stopped with some sugar 
cane shredded and fixed expressly for the purpose 
and porous enough so that the coffee percolates 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


103 


through it as it is poured out and at the same time 
extracts sweetness from the cane. The natives all 
have a sweet tooth and consume quantities of sugar. 
Each native is supposed to bring on board all the 
wood needed to do his or her cooking, and some do 
bring a few sticks for looks but all steal the required 
wood from the boat. 

Our engine is fed with wood, coal being too ex¬ 
pensive. At Khartoum every available space was 
filled with wood leaving only a narrow passageway 
for the passengers to get on. At certain stations 
they wood up and they say it is a noisy process. 
They always carry a small amount of coal for an emer¬ 
gency. 

Today the river seems to vary in width, in some 
places being like a huge lake and with many small 
islands. Vegetation is not so profuse as yesterday, the 
desert much of the time coming down to the water’s 
edge. 

We still see quantities of the wild ducks which 
they say are fine to eat. 

Mr. Sefton who has charge of the boat and has 
the title of Engineer, being of the navy and having 
his assignment, takes no passage money, not even 
tickets. A Government official came on and did all 
of that and also checked over the firearms and am¬ 
munition of the hunters and collected for all excess. 
Not having anything of the kind we were exempt. 

The English officers get passes for simple trans¬ 
portation for themselves and a limited amount of 
baggage, but they have to pay for their food (with 


104 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


a 25 per cent discount) and all baggage over the limit. 
One of them has 13 donkeys and a lot of other stuff. 

The missionaries get a half fare rate. This being 
Sunday they wanted to hold services and were 
promptly sat down upon by the officers, which rather 
surprised me as these missionaries are Church of 
England ones. 

The servants aboard speak only Arabic so Mr. 
Sefton has to give our orders for us. All the other 
passengers speak the language. 

Each one of the officers has his own servant with 
him and some of them have several, but for service on 
the boat it is not in the least necessary. The waiters, 
however, do understand “whiskey and soda” in 
English. 

The day before leaving Khartoum I had a shampoo 
and we both were manicured. A French girl came 
to the room and did it for which she asked the princely 
sum of $4.50. She certainly was not working for 
her health! 

This boat with our two barges and the postoffice 
boat is a funny sight. As near as I can draw it ’tis 
about like this: 



Number 1 is the Amara, a stern wheeler, passen¬ 
gers all first class and on the upper deck, the lower 




A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


105 



STERN OF S.S. AMARA AND POST S.S. AMARA SHOWING TWO 


OFFICE BOAT BARGES AHEAD 

having the engines, kitchen, provisions, fuel and 
crew; Number 2 is the postoffice boat, yellow in 
color, not so large as ours, has six cabins for second 
class on the upper deck, quite a number of post- 
office clerks and a room for them to work in. They 
have their own dining room and kitchen on that 
boat. The lower deck has the kitchen for them, 
and space for their provisions, the balance of the 
deck being filled with freight comprising lumber, 
street car rails, cotton and big boxes. Numbers 3 
and 4 are the double decked nuggers and are filled 
with the native passengers, donkeys, camels, fodder 
and freight. Our guard of soldiers is on the second 
deck of Number 3. From the bow of our boat we 
can look over and see what the natives are doing 
and they are continually going back and forth. 
Servants of the officers stay over there but are al¬ 
lowed to come over onto this boat. There are no 
curtains to numbers 3 and 4 and no protection from 
wind or rain but there is a good roof. They pile their 
belongings in the middle and lie down on them at 



106 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 



BOY ON THE AMARA STANDING BY THE WATER COOLER 


night. When there are only two barges, or a barge 
and the mail boat they are fastened one on each 
side of the steamer and they say that then it is very 
unpleasant as odors of animals, people and cooking is 
very strong and the view on both sides is cut off. I 
can readily understand it as our mail boat shuts off 
all the view and air from the other side. Fortunately 
for us we are on the open side. 

The officers told me that they each had three 
blankets and a tarpaulin over them last night. As 
soon as the sun appears they have to get up. 

We sat up in the mosquito room quite a while 
this morning. There is a long wooden table there and 
quite a number of chairs. The wind drove me down. 

This afternoon we saw a crocodile sunning him¬ 
self on a sand bank, but the shores are so far away 
that we have to use glasses to see what the things are. 



A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


107 



Flocks or herd after herd of goats were on the 
shore and the shepherd was taking them in one by one 
and giving them a bath. The other goats quietly 
stood on the shore and waited their turn. 

It was wash day with the natives on the barges 
and they looked like the laundry boats along the 
Seine with line after line of clothes hung out. One 
fellow even washed the vest of a suit that some 


NATIVE BARGE BEING TOWED. MAIL BOAT IN THE FOREGROUND. 
GOATS AND DONKEYS ALONG THE SHORE 



108 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 



NATIVE LIFE AT DUEM 

Englishman had evidently given him and from the 
color of the water it sadly needed the bath. 

This letter will be mailed at Kosti where the rail¬ 
road comes in and the mail returns that way. 

S.S. Amara, December 23, 1912. 

The weather is perfectly fine, warm but not boil¬ 
ing hot and yet I might find it so if I was steadily out 
in the heat of the sun. I notice that these English¬ 
men never let themselves go into the sun even to 
walk across the deck without their hats. It is very 
funny, in the morning, the way they wander about 
the deck indiscriminately in their pajamas but 
with their cork hats on. If I step out of my cabin 
they are unabashed and say “good morning” and 
go right on talking to me without any embarrass¬ 
ment and so I treat them in the same way, but nat¬ 
urally I stay in my cabin until I am fully dressed. 



NATIVE BOAT ON THE WHITE NILE 

100 





110 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


Yesterday afternoon we saw a crocodile out on a 
sand bank sunning himself, but so far away that we 
could not get a good look at him. There are quantities 
of wild duck, geese, pelicans, flamingoes and small 
birds all the time. 

It was about 6 p.m. yesterday that we landed at 
the immense native town of A1 Duem. We did not 
go ashore as it grew dark so soon. Several of the 
officers did but said there was nothing to be seen. 

The Governor is an Englishman and there are a 
small number of English officers stationed there in 
command of the native troops. 

We, once in a while, pass a felucca going down 
laden with one thing or another and manned by 
the natives. Yesterday we passed a natty little 
steamer belonging to the Governor of A1 Duem 
which was taking him somewhere. 

We sat up in the mosquito house and watched the 
sunset and the wonderful afterglow which lasted 
until after 9 o’clock. The air is not at all cold. 

One of the missionaries took a rattan chair out 
of the mosquito house, sat in it a while at the stern 
of the boat on the top deck, then got up and left it. 
As I went into the mosquito house sometime later 
I saw the wind take the chair and away it went sail¬ 
ing down the Nile. 

This morning at 5 o’clock we landed at a wooding 
station and such a noise as there was,—no more 
sleep. They were about two hours loading on the 
wood. These wooding stations are moved along 


A BLACK MAN S COUNTRY 


I'll 


as the timber in the place is used up and the natives 
move their straw huts with them. 

The scenery so far today has been quite different 
from that which we passed through yesterday and 
day before. The river is not quite so wide. There 
are numerous small islands in a high state of culti¬ 
vation, and great herds of fine looking fat cattle 
with a thick forest all along the shore. 

I forgot to say that the barges we are pushing and 
also the mail boat are fastened to the Amara by 
cable ropes and heavy wire ropes. 


Ml 



i S. G. S. “OMDURMAN” LOADING DHURRA 

S.S. Amara, December 24, 1912. 

We are not going at a very rapid rate. Five miles 
an hour is what they should make but they do not 
always do that. 

About three o’clock yesterday afternoon we bunt¬ 
ed into the sand and tied up at the native village 
of Tawileh where we took on 865 bags of dhurra 
each bag weighing about 100 pounds. It is the wheat 
the natives use for their bread and feed to the stock. 
They also make an intoxicating drink out of it. 




112 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


The blacks bringing it one bag at a time, chanted a 
sort of song which made me think of the singing of 
the negroes as boats used to go out at Nashville, 
Tennessee. 

As we had to stay at Tawileh several hours the 
officers had their donkeys taken off so that the poor 
animals could stretch their legs and roll. How the 
beasts did enjoy it and such a time as they had to get 
them on again. The S.S. Omdurman coming down 
the river also tied up quite near us and as there were 
some officers on board they came over and visited 
ours and had a few friendly drinks together and all 
were in a particularly jolly mood. 

While waiting at Tawileh some of the huntsmen 
took the row boat we always trail and went across 
to Ava Island, where it is said the Mahdi concocted 
his nefarious plan, and did a little shooting, bringing- 
back with them quite a number of geese and ducks. 
As the row boat came along side, I with the others 
on board leaned over the rail to see the result, and I 
learned that they had to strip and wade in for the 
ducks they shot, so I quietly moved away. 

The long delay at Tawileh, the time demanded for 
loading all of the dhurra, has made us about 12 
hours late. We had to tie up at Kosti for the night 
as we could not get through the bridge so late. At 
an early hour this morning they unloaded the freight 
and took on more horses and donkeys. 

The wind is blowing a gale and it is a cold north 
wind so we have again put on our warm clothes. 
Waves are good sized with plenty of white caps but 
no inconvenience from them. 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


113 


Charles got up early this morning and went on 
shore to see if he could not find a few little things we 
could use for Christmas. Kosti is a very small 
place, notwithstanding the railroad crosses the river 
here on its way to El Obied, but he found one Greek 
merchant had opened his store. The only trinkets 
he could find were some small mirrors and sleigh- 
bells which he bought and we will fix them up and 
give to all the first class passengers, just so that it 
will be a bit like Christmas. Before Charles was 
quite through the whistle blew and he came on the 
run but it was an hour before the boat moved. 
They would find one person and then another missing. 
At last when they thought everyone was aboard 
they discovered that the cook was off, but pretty 
soon he came strolling along with a basket filled with 
bread. No one ever seems to be in a hurry and they 
are always good natured about delays. 

We did finally get off and half an hour brought us 
to the bridge across the river and they blew and blew, 
but no signs of life. We got right up against the 
bridge. The wind was so fierce we kept blowing 
around. After whistling and whistling and waiting 
quite a while some natives did come slowly and 
after repeated efforts got the bridge started. As 
it turns by hand power it took some time to do it 
and by that time the wind had blown us into such 
a position that we had to turn clear around before 
we could head through the bridge; but like every¬ 
thing else it was finally done and now we are going 
along in the even tenor of our way. We frequently 


114 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 




pass floating blocks of the sudd which in a way 
makes me think of the water hyacinth of the Florida 
rivers. It seems to start here with a congregation 



A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


115 


of plants similar to our water hyacinth and almost 
immediately a tall growth on the order of reeds springs 
up and then a tall grass, while long roots go down 
to the bottom of the river, where the stream lets 
these blocks rest quiet long enough, and attach them¬ 
selves so that it floats and nods its head although 
fastened. It seems that at times this has caused 
almost a closing of navigation. Now they are spend¬ 
ing vast sums of money trying to rid the river of it 
and a company has been formed who are trying to 
utilize it by making a fuel of it but who have had no 
success as yet. I hear that further on we are to have 
lots of the sudd. 

We now seem to be away from the native houses of 
sun dried bricks and the villages are composed of 
shacks which they call “takuls” I think. These 
are composed of straw with conical shaped thatched 
roofs and are much more picturesque than the mud 
villages. 

There is a lot of vegetation and many cattle. It 
seems that only in the last few years the people have 
been induced to sell their cattle, but now they are 
shipped in great numbers to Cairo and other places 
for food and the Government collects its taxes in 
cattle. 

I really wish our cook at home could see the cook¬ 
ing place that the natives use on the nugger and their 
utensils. First there is a low sheet iron stand, 2 feet 
from the floor, about 4 feet in length and feet wide 
with a four-inch rim all around it. Here two fires 
are kept going by placing 3 and sometimes 4 bricks 


116 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


on their side in this way 

<? <*> 

in the center of the space fire is started and as all the 
wood is 3 feet or more in length they stick in an end 
and as it burns away push it in farther and farther un¬ 
til the piece is all gone. They do break up the twigs to 
start the fire. Then they put the pot, stewpan or fry¬ 
ing pan over it letting the pan or whatever it is rest on 
the corners of the four bricks. When a dish is finished 
and they wish to keep it hot until the rest is done, they 
set it down at one side between the bricks. Each 
one seems to own a stew pan, a frying pan, a knife 
and a spoon. Of course their meals are not as elab¬ 
orate as ours. There is an old woman who seems 
to be the breadmaker for the crowd. When she 
makes it she puts a tin, probably 18 inches square, 
over the fire. The dhurra mixture is thin like our bat¬ 
ter cake dough and is in an earthen pot. With a 
small thing that looks like half a gourd she puts 
some on the tin, first wiping the tin all over with a 
greasy rag, and with the gourd deftly spreads it 
out until it nearly covers the tin in a circle like an 
immense pancake. When it is half done, with her 
hands she flops it over for the other side to cook. 
Then she puts it on another tin which is on the floor 
and is covered with a thing made of straw that looks 
like a straw hat. This the natives step over as they 
walk past and sometimes knock the top off, which 





1 . 


A TAKUL. 2. LOCKED UP BY THE SUDD. 
3. FLOATING BLOCKS OF THE SUDD 












118 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


matters not in the least. The natives take this 
bread and sometimes have a couple of tablespoonsful 
of stew put on it and eat it in that way. I also see 
them break it up into small pieces which they dip 
into something that looks like tea and eat it while 
at other times they eat it dry. 

It is very hard, in fact almost impossible to keep 
butter in this country from getting soft. It is all 
shipped in here and comes in cans such as we buy 
canned tongue in. They keep these cans in water 
and there they are all right, but when one is opened 
the butter softens so quickly they have to use a 
spoon instead of a butter knife. 

Late this afternoon when we were carefully wend¬ 
ing our way through a rocky part of the Nile, we saw 
two lots of Hippopotami sporting in the water. We 
counted eight in one lot but they were so far away 
we had to use our glass to see them. 

In the distance we saw the range, or rather five hills 
called Jebelein. One of them looked exactly like the 
Rock of Gibralter. 

It has really been cold all day and warm clothing 
was most comfortable. The full moon is most 
exquisite, making the water look like silver. 

S.S. Amara, December 25, 1912. 

Merry Christmas to you all! I’ve wafted it to you 
many times today. It is now 2 p.m. and you are 
probably only just getting up. This difference in 
time is confusing. At the next station, Renk, where 
we are due in about an hour, Charles is to have a 


A BLACK MANS COUNTRY 


119 


cable sent home and hopes that it will reach you by 
your dinner time. 

As soon as I could, this morning, I got into my 
wrapper and went to the dining room where the table 
was being set and at each place put a small mirror 
and tied to it a bell and a small card on which was 
“ Merry Christmas.” It was just a touch of the 
Christmas spirit and evidently the men were pleased 
by it; at least all were polite enough to come individ¬ 
ually and thank us. 

The Englishmen kept Christmas eve and had a 
jolly time of it until a late hour, sounds of which 
reached us once in a while but did not bother us in 
the least. Why should one be annoyed that others 
are happy? 

We still have the same strong north wind with us. 
Charles had to put on his big ulster this morning 
to keep warm and Mr. Sefton had the rear curtain 
to the mosquito house pulled down so we could sit 
there in comfort. 

The native raft, shown in the accompanying pic¬ 
ture, is made of a sort of cork wood called ambatch, 
which is very light and easily carried by one man. 
We saw one of them at a wooding station. Just be¬ 
fore lunch we stopped at a wooding station, Gozer 
was the name I think, and our hunters started at once 
but only brought back a hare, while one of the second 
class passengers from the mail boat shot a gazelle. 
At this station a small dahabeah or houseboat was 
tied up. It belonged to an Englishman who was 
shooting. He came aboard to ask Mr. Sefton some 


120 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 



A NILE FISHERMAN 

questions and was very glad of the papers Charles 
had finished reading. He is all alone except native 
servants and has been on his way up about a month, 
going by sail when he cannot get towed up by one of 
the steamers. He expects to be on the river another 
month and then will be towed down by one of these 
boats. Later, after he had left, we found that it was 
Sir Seton Karr who has hunted in our Big Horn 
Mountains and written of a wonderful kind of elk 
he killed out there. 

Yesterday afternoon our hunters got out their 
elephant guns and showed them to us. They are 
perfectly huge things and quite too heavy for me to 
even lift. 

One of the men, Captain Fox, has been up in this 
section quite a while and tells some most interesting 
things. He began when I saw a most exquisite red 




A BLACK MAN S COUNTRY 


121 


bird flying about. He said it was a bee-eater and ate 
the wild bees and their honey. He then went on 
to say that there was a little bird that told the natives 
the location of the wild honey in this way; the bird 
comes to where the natives are and chatters and 
scolds until he gets their attention and then flies 
off to the next tree on the way, keeping up a contin¬ 
ual chatter until the native gets that far, when on 
flies the bird. He keeps this up until the bee tree is 
reached. Sometimes even when the native gets up to 
the very tree he fails at first to see the honey and 
starts away. Then the little bird nearly bursts with 
indignation and scolds so fiercely that the native 
looks again and finds the honey which of course he 
takes away, but always gives the tell-tale bird a fair 
share. Cunning of the bird, isn’t it? 

Captain Fox also said the bees killed elephants, 
stung them to death, which I promptly doubted, so 
he went on to say that bees always attack an ele¬ 
phant about his ears which are sensitive and sting 
him so that he runs to water and gets in head and all, 
but as he cannot breathe under water he is obliged 
to leave the tip end of his trunk out and the bees 
at once sting the inside of that so that it swells up, 
closes the openings and Mr. Elephant is done for, as 
by that time he is so dazed that he hasn’t sense 
enough to get out of the water. 

S.S. Amara, December 26, 1912. 

Our Christmas dinner last night was a great success. 
The table was set up in the mosquit o house and was in 


122 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


the shape of a T so that all of us could dine together. 
Mr. Sefton asked if I would help him fix the table 
and of course I was delighted to be of any service, 
but material was very scarce. However at the wood¬ 
ing station on my suggestion he had the natives get 
some of the feathery heads of the papyrus and I 
made three bouquets of them, improvising vases, and 
in among the feathery stuff stuck some small flags 
which I happened to have with me, American, 
Italian, Swiss and German. These gave a touch of 
color. Naturally I was sorry there wasn’t an Eng¬ 
lish one among them and was surprised that not 
an English flag was to be found among any of the 
Englishmen. The ship’s flag was brought into use 
and draped on the north wall of the mosquito house. 
If “ I do say it as hadn’t ought” the table looked very 
pretty and was greatly complimented. Mr. Sefton 
sat at the head of the T, Charles to his right and I 
to his left with the officers and missionaries seated 
about. The dinner was perfectly delicious: Soup, 
gazelle with string beans, turkey with stuffing, 
boiled ham and potatoes, asparagus salad, English 
plum pudding which was sent out to the officers from 
their relatives in England and it was fine, then some 
egg on caviar and toast, fruit and coffee. Cham¬ 
pagne and cognac were served freely—compliments 
of the Steamship Company. Toasts were soon start¬ 
ed beginning with “Our King, God bless him” and 
going on until it seemed to me every one in the world 
had been remembered except the Mahdi who caused 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


123 


so much trouble in the Sudan. Charles and I re¬ 
mained at the festive board for two hours and then 
quietly stole away, but the rest kept it up for some 
three hours longer. I believe the missionaries did 
leave pretty soon after we did. 

The night was so gorgeous with the full moon that 
Charles and I sat on deck in front of our room, while 
he smoked a cigar, before we turned in. For quite 
awhile afterward the sound of the happy party 
above floated down to us. 

This morning we awoke to find it very cold with 
such a bitter north wind blowing. It seems the 
farther south we go the colder it grows. I had to 
put on my big coat over my heavy suit to sit out on 
deck, but now, at noon, it has warmed up so that I 
have discarded the big coat. 

Yesterday afternoon Charles told Mr. Sefton(for 
me) that he hoped the rest of the passengers would 
not change their dress because I was to be at the 
Christmas dinner with them, so all the difference 
they made in their dress was to put on their coats 
and ’twas more than enough. They are usually 
with rolled up sleeves and open neck. One of the 
officers said to me a Twas jolly good of you not to 
make us dress as we are off on a vacation and do 
enjoy this undress life.” None of them had a real 
dress suit with them, but they did have stiff shirts 
and collars which would have been very foolish to 
put on. 

We stopped this morning to wood up. It is funny 


124 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 



A WOODING STATION 


at these stations to see the native women come down 
to the shore and open up little shops right in the 
sand. Usually each woman has a flat basket in 
which will be a few eggs, beans, peanuts (monkey 
nuts as they call them) or dried gumbo. The natives 
from our barges buy the things after doing a lot of 
bantering. The peanuts are very small but taste 
exactly like ours. They use them for soup making 
as we do pea soup. 

The gumbo which they call lady’s fingers, is smaller 
than ours and dried, but Mr. Sefton says they also 
use it fresh. The natives use it in their stews. He 
had never heard of using it as a vegetable but says 
he has made a salad of it. 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


125 


S.S. Amara, December 27, 1912. 

My! such an exciting morning as we have had. As 
I stepped out to go to my bath a hippopotamus was 
snorting close by and a little later the rest saw a dozen 
or more water-buck and still later when we were all 
up on top a lot of white eared cob were seen and of 
course the hunters 
were wild, so Mr. Sef- 
ton had the boat 
bunted up to the 
shore and tied. Two 
of the officers were 
chosen and off they 
started. All the rest 
of the passengers were 
on the top deck with 
glasses glued to their 
eyes. However, the 
cob took flight as 
soon as they saw the 
boat coming to shore, 
and hid in the high 
grass which is up to 
a man’s shoulder. 

While they had a good 
bit of exercise that was all and after three quarters 
of an hour the boat whistled, they came back, got 
aboard, we started and then all settled quietly down, 
most of us up in the mosquito house doing whatever 
we pleased. At 10.30 we were startled by a terrible 
hue and cry—“Man overboard.” My heart almost 



A SNORTING HIPPOPOTAMUS 



126 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 



THE RESCUE OF THE MAN OVERBOARD 


stopped. Everything was excitement and of course 
we all ran out on deck to see the head of one of the 
natives, by that time far down the stream. He was 
making a brave effort to keep up and fortunately 
could swim. Before we got out of the mosquito 
house another native had jumped in with a life pre¬ 
server and was going with rapid strokes towards him, 
and almost immediately another stalwart naked 
native followed suit. Naturally the steamer had been 
stopped and was backing down. The small row 
boat put off with four men but they had no oarlocks 
and only paddles. It was funny to see their efforts. 
Finally they got to the fellow, who long before had 
been reached by the two swimmers and was resting 
on the life preserver and being towed along by the 
swimmers. They pulled the three in, paddled to 



A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


127 


the steamer, got on board and off we started. I 
never heard such jabbering as there was on the barge 
when the native was telling the crowd just how it hap¬ 
pened. It seemed that he was standing between the 
two barges one foot on each, getting water or doing 
something, lost his balance and was gone in a second. 
He had to pass under the whole length of our steamer 
and it was a great wonder one of the paddles did not 
hit him and finish the job. What every one was 
afraid of was that a crocodile would grab the men 
before they could be gotten out of the water and the 
seconds seemed like hours. 

Feeling that I had had enough excitement for a 
while I came down to my cabin. The weather is 
warmer today, I’m glad to say, but the strong north 
wind still blows although not so cold. The wind was 
so strong that it was all the four men could do to 
make the little row boat go down stream. 

We see hippopotami nearly every day, but yet 
not nearly as many as I expected and then only 
their noses as they come up for breath. A crocodile 
was seen yesterday. They speak of them as hippo’s 
and crock’s. 

We had the Full Sudani or peanut soup last night 
and it was perfectly delicious. It is made by parching 
the shelled peanuts as we do coffee, only very brown, 
then pounding them to fine powder which is used 
to make the soup just as we make pea soup. They 
added a pinch of curry powder to it but the English¬ 
men say they think it better without that. We 
thought it awfully good just as it was. 


128 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


Our room boy came to Charles this morning and 
by signs indicated that he could do washing for him 
and Charles at once gave him some things to do. 

The officers wear white almost entirely and each 
day their servants wash out the suits worn the day 
before. 

Mr. Sefton today presented me with the tail of 
a giraffe to use as a fly scarer, such as the ones you 
see so much in Cairo. 

The mosquitoes are with us as I can testify by 
bites on the face, wrists and ankles received while 
at dinner last evening. The windows to the dining 
room are screened but the doors are kept wide 
open. The mosquitoes are dormant during the day 
thank goodness! Mr. Sefton had on his mosquito 
boots last evening and I suppose we will have to do 
the same from now on for a while. 

The Seriut flies made their appearance this morn¬ 
ing. At least two did and we promptly killed them. 
They are huge yellow fellows that light on you so 
softly that you don’t feel them until they bite, which 
is like the sting of a bee. 

Yesterday afternoon we stopped at the wooding 
station of Kaka and saw for the first time some 
Shilluks, tall slender fellows, over six feet, and wear¬ 
ing a piece of cloth that had once been white, for 
clothes. It was about the size and thickness of a 
dish towel, put under one arm and fastened up on 
the other shoulder. They were not at all abashed if 
it blew out of place. They were as black as ink but 
had sprinkled ashes all over them, as protection from 


COUNTRY 


129 



SHILLUKS AT A WOODING STATION 









130 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


mosquitoes, which gave them a very peculiar color. 
Their faces, also, had been given a dose of ashes. 
They evidently are very fond of personal adorn¬ 
ment and wore string after string of beads about 
their necks and feathers stuck in their hair. One 
fellow, evidently a dude, had on a high collar of 
white beads and what I called a bead shirt front. It 
was just the shape of a shirt bosom and made of 
beads. About his head he had a bead band, in his 
hair several feathers and on his finger a ring, shaped 
like a wish bone, made of silver. He carried a lance 
and stood on one foot with the other foot resting on 
his knee. Charles gave one fellow a piece of blue rib¬ 
bon which he at once tied around his neck and a little 
bell which he fastened to his ring and seemed to 
like the sound of its tinkle. 

The women were washing and did cover their 
charms a little more. I was very much interested 
in the way they washed their clothes. They used 
the hard shore for a washboard and sand for the soap. 

While there our hunters went out and came back 
with eight guinea fowl. These grow wild all along 
the river and are said to be fine to eat. 

The natives on board wear quantities of amulets 
about their waist, hung from their neck and about 
their arms. They are really passages from the Koran, 
blessed and sold to them by the sheiks, and are said 
to warn off anything they want warned off, sick¬ 
ness, spirits, etc., etc. 

We are now due at Fashoda or as it is now called 
Kodok. It was formerly French but now is Anglo- 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


131 


Egyptian and said to be quite a place. There we will 
lose our first passenger, Mr. Middleton, who is a sur¬ 
veyor in the employ of the Sudan government. He 
is an Englishman and very pleasant. 

We are not yet half way to Rejaf and are enjoy¬ 
ing it as much as we did at first. 



WOMEN WASHING CLOTHES ON THE WHITE NILE AT GAZA 


S.S. Amara, December 28, 1912. 

After writing or rather mailing my letter to you 
yesterday I heard that one of the mules had died 
and had been thrown overboard, so you see we did 
have a full morning yesterday. 

It was 2 p.m. yesterday when we landed at Kodok, 
a wretched looking place with only a few houses for 
Europeans. They are gradually being moved further 
up the river to the new town of Malakal. The 
native town at Kodok is huge. 




132 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 



i 



SH1LLUKS AT FASHODA 
ENROUTE FROM FASHODA TO DARFOUR 


The weather is boiling hot and I did not venture 
off the boat. Our hunters went off and came back 
just before we started (6 p.m.) with one wild goose, 
a big fellow, and 21 ducks so we will have a feast. 

We were so long and late at shore that the boat 



A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


133 


got filled with a sort of big sand fly that kept flap¬ 
ping into things we were eating at dinner. Mr. 
Sefton says the powers above have been very good 
to us on this trip in not giving us hot weather and 
I fully realized it yesterday. Today is much cooler 
with again the strong north wind. I saw that with 
the hot weather came the animal life and I had to 
don my mosquito boots last evening at dinner. 



THE VILLAGE OF MALAKAL 


Mr. Sefton tells us that at the 8 o’clock breakfast 
our fellow passengers ate 70 eggs. That shows 
that they are not invalids,—70 eggs to 13 people. 

This morning when we awoke we were tied up at 
the new town of Malakal which is the headquaters of 
a big irrigation scheme. Charles went on shore and 
had a rather interesting talk with the Englishman in 
charge. The location of the town is fine, high and 



134 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


dry. They are building the houses of the cement 
blocks which will make them cool and permanent. 
The English from both Kodok and Taufikia are 
soon to be moved here, at least so we were told. 

At noon or later we will reach Taufikia where we 
are to meet the boat going to Khartoum and it will 
take all the mail from our mail boat. Several of the 
Englishmen with us, longing for a chance to stretch 
their legs in good shape took the walk “across lots” 
as we say at home, from Malakal to Taufikia which 
is a much shorter distance than we had to go by 
boat. 

Mr. Sefton presented me with a bracelet made of 
the very coarse hair from an elephant’s tail, decidedly 
unique. I must confess my ignorance, I did not 
know that an elephant had any hair on his tail. 

S.S. Amara, December 29, 1912. 

We are not suffering at all from the cold now I 
can assure you. As I write the perspiration is run¬ 
ning down my face. Charles put on his white shoes 
and socks, white shirt and white trousers this morn¬ 
ing, no coat or necktie and still he is boiling hot. 
He says if it gets any hotter he will do as the Eng¬ 
lishmen do,—go without underwear. Particularly 
since he has found out that our room boy will do 
washing for us. He has done two lots and does it 
very well. As the clothes are hung right here on the 
deck in full view of everyone I’m going to wait until 
these officers get off before having him wash my 
clothes. 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


135 


Yesterday morning we had a fine view of a young 
crocodile as he lay on the bank sunning himself. 
The boat passed within 30 feet of him but as he was 
too young to know fear he did not move. This 
morning I saw a larger one but he was so far away 
that I had to use my glasses. 

Each morning when I go into the bath room I 
think of what that little cousin of mine did when 
we lived at the hotel in Omaha. She and her mother 
had been in from Fremont for the day and were leav¬ 
ing on the afternoon train. Charles and I were going 
to Chicago that evening so the minute they left our 
room I rushed in the bathroom, turned water in the 
tub and began to prepare for a bath. In those days 
the Omaha city water was very dirty. When my 
visitors got to the elevator the young Miss concluded 
that she must go to the toilet at once, so they re¬ 
turned to my room post haste and as the little one 
ran into the bathroom she looked in the bath tub 
and said “this is dirty water Cousin Nettie,” and I 
said “yes” and she spit in it! And I was in a hurry! 
The bath water here is almost chocolate color, but 
I don’t spit in it, I just grit my teeth and jump in. 

We stopped about noon or rather 2 p.m. yesterday 
at Taufikia and bade goodbye to two of our party, 
Captains Hudson-Kinahan and Kyrke, who are to 
go several hundred miles up the Sobat river on duty, 

Taufikia is perhaps a shade better than some of the 
other places. The officers quarters are in a pretty 
grove of Duleib palms. These palms have a regular 
palm leaf and the fruit hangs in clusters like cocoa- 


136 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


nuts. They tell us that the fruit is very coarse, 
fibrous and tough and can only be eaten by the 
natives. 

A rather amusing thing occurred at Taufikia: A 
sheik was to go on from there with us and crowds of 
his friends were down to see him off, but just before 
he came aboard he said his prayers right in the sand 
and we caught his picture. 



SHEIK PRAYING BEFORE EMBARKING AT TAUFIKIA 


There were a number of Shilluks at the dock in 
Taufikia and we saw the most fantastical hair dress¬ 
ing I have ever seen. It was like a broad brimmed 
hat pushed onto the head and the effect is produced 
by braiding the hair in some way. It is never un¬ 
done, but when a relative dies the hair is cut off. 
That’s real mourning I can tell you. After growing 
such a looking affair as that I think I should weigh 
the matter very carefully before I cut it off. Others 
had theirs fixed in a way that looked like spokes 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


137 




SHILLUKS AT TAUFIKIA 
LOADING UP AT A WOODING STATION 




138 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


of a wheel. I was really lost in admiration of 
their art. 

Mr. Sefton got two bunches of bananas at Malakal 
and they are fine; only about the length of one’s 
finger. 

We left Taufikia at 5 p.m. and when we got to 
the Sobat river five miles further on, it was too 
dark to see the difference in the waters of the two 
rivers which they say is most pronounced. At 8.30 
p.m. we stopped to wood up, which performance 
continued until 1.30 a.m. with all its attendant 
noises so ’twas somewhat fitful sleep we got. Then 
at 4.30 a.m. we met the down boat and they whistled 
and we tied up to each other for half an hour’s visit, 
so our rest was again disturbed. The Captain going 
down was anxious for newspapers and mail from 
Khartoum. They had only one passenger. Our 
mail boat transferred all its mail to the down boat 
so my letters are now speeding toward you. 

This morning at 10 we stopped at Tonga, a native 
village of fair size with officers quarters and a large 
brick house and church of the Austrian Catholic 
Mission. Tonga seemed to be a very busy place. 
The transport boat going up ahead of us unloaded a 
quantity of carts and other things that were to be 
taken far inland where the Government is doing 
a great deal of work. Captain Gibson left us there 
and the last we saw of him was as he sat on the rim 
of the barge we left there. Now we have the mail 
boat in place of that barge so at present both sides 
of us are free. 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


139 



A PECULIAR HAIRDRESSING OF THE SHILLUKS 



140 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 




TAUFIKIA ON THE WHITE NILE 
DULEIB PALMS 


The ant hills yesterday and the day before were 
quite a sight,—fields dotted with them. They are 
huge, many feet about the base and many are higher 
than a person. Hunters in going through the fields 
stand on them to look ahead for game, as the grass is 





143 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 



SHILLUKS SHOWING VARIOUS FORMS OF HAIR DRESS 





144 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 



GIRAFFES 


S.S. Amara, December 30, 1912. 

Yesterday afternoon as I was having my nap I 
was awakened by Charles’ voice saying “do you 
want to see a giraffe” and as I did, I quickly jumped 
up and ran up on deck. Way off on the plains we 
could see several stalking along. Nearer some ga¬ 
zelles were eating, and a few minutes later we saw a 
huge hippo swimming along. Presently he got 
clear out of the water, rested a while, then started in 
swimming and we kept watch of him quite a while. 
A rustle, and we were right by the side of a monster 
crocodile who had been on the bank sunning him¬ 
self, evidently asleep, so we got a fine view of his 
ugly old form before he flopped into the water. 




145 


A BLACK MAN'S COUNTRY 



OUR FRIEND THE HIPPO 




146 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


Later we saw several hippos nearer, but they only 
stuck their noses out for air; but altogether we felt 
that we had seen many things. 

The crocodile is feared by everyone and one of the 
officers told me that at one of the places where he was 
stationed he never allowed his donkey to be watered 
at the river unless he stood guard with his gun, as 
the crocodiles were so bold that they came right up. 
First they would knock the donkeys over with a 
flop of their tails, and then drag the poor donkey 
into the river until he was drowned. It is said that 
crocodiles do not eat fresh meat, but fasten it in the 
water until it is several days old and then feast on 
it. In other words, they, like we, prefer meat well 
hung. 

All the officers have kodaks with them and are 
continually taking photographs of things on “land 
and sea.” 

The natives that we have been seeing go on the 
principle that if you itch, scratch, no matter what 
part of your anatomy it is. And while some of them 
do make a pretense of wearing a covering below the 
waist yet they are not the least abashed if they are 
without it. They often brought to my mind the 
ditty: 

“The poor benighted Hindoo 
He does the best he kindo 
He sticks to his caste 
From first to last 

And for clothes he makes his skin do.” 



SHILLUKS AT TONGA 




148 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 







NATIVE MAIDENS OF THE UPPER NILE 



A BLACK MAN*S COUNTRY 


149 


Last night we passed through Lake No. It was 
early in the evening but too dark to see. From there 
we went into the Sudd region where we will be for 
two or three days, and such myriads of tiny gnats 
appeared. They are so small that they came right 
through the meshes of the screens and such pests as 
they are. 

We have been very fortunate in not having mos¬ 
quitoes in our cabins as yet, but perhaps I’m crowing 
too soon. 

The word “Sadd” pronounced Sudd and common¬ 
ly spelled that way is Arabic and means “ obstruc¬ 
tion.” While the river is now much narrowed yet 
it is about the width of the Missouri river at Omaha. 
On each side there is a dense, dense growth of papy¬ 
rus and Um Suff. The latter looks like a small 
bamboo but they say it has a nasty thorn which 
makes it almost impossible for one to get through 
it. It is topped with something that looks very much 
like our corn tassel. I never imagined there could 
be so much papyrus in the world. The height of the 
papyrus is so great that on this deck we cannot look 
over it, but on the upper deck we can and yet all we 
can see, even with the field glasses, is papyrus and Um 
Suff—miles and miles of it on both sides. It is a 
vast swamp and the amount of water used to make 
all this growth is enormous. The government is 
trying different experiments to reclaim this water 
for use in irrigation below. 

At the river’s edge grow what the Englishmen 
call creepers, we say vines, with lovely blossoms in 


150 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


different shades of red and yellow so the appear¬ 
ance at the water’s edge is really very pretty; but 
to look out on the papyrus fields is like looking out 
on the ocean; 

There is a continual float going past us of the 
growth of the sudd and frequently large pieces from 
the size of an ordinary stand to that of a large sized 
dining table go sailing by and the papyrus with its 
feathery, bushy* heads waving in the breeze makes 
me think of the waving plumes of the hearse- 
horses. 

These English officers have their flannel shirts 
made for what they call a “spine pad.” It buttons 
onto the outside of the shirt reaching from the neck 
to the waist and out to the shoulders, so they can 
take it off when not needed. Evidently it is a good 
thing. When out in the sun for any length of time 
or when on marching duty they wear their flannel 
shirts. 

Since they have moved the mail boat up ahead 
of us we can see the modus operandi of clearing the 
dishes, etc., on the barge, as it is all done on their 
rear deck. Charles saw one of the servants there 
polishing a teacup with his shirt tail, and I saw one 
spit into a cup but he did use a tea towel to clean 
it with. 

The officers seem to call their servants “coco” 
which I am told means cook and it is the master’s 
voice, which can be heard all over the boat, that tells 
them whose coco is wanted. All of the officers have 
at least one servant; one has five, and even the mis- 


151 


A BLACK MAN'S COUNTRY 



THE SUDD 
UM SUFF 



152 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 




SHILLUKS AND THEIR LONG, NARROW DUGOUTS 


sionary has two. We alone have none and I’m glad 
we don’t have to bother with them. 

The light rafts that I wrote you of in a former letter 
are made from the leaves, or rather I should say 
palm branches, of the Ambatch tree. It looked 
very funny at one place to see the Shilluk come in 






A BLACK MAN*S COUNTRY 


153 


on such a raft and when he got to the shore pick it up 
with one hand and walk off. We so often see natives 
paddling down the river in their long narrow boats, 
really dug outs, sometimes sitting in the stern. We 
noticed as we approached that they got to the bank 
as quickly as possible and went in close under or 
into the high grass that grows at the water’s edge. 
As they were entirely nude we thought modesty 
caused them to hide themselves in the grass until we 
were passed, but it seems it is for self-preservation 
that they do so, as the wash from our boat would 
tip them over if they did not seek safety. 

We hear the continual croaking of the frog in 
the marshes and at night it is a full orchestra. The 
weather is not quite as hot today as yesterday. 
Then it was 94° in Charles’ cabin while today it is 
90°. But that is warm enough. 

S.S. Amara, December 31, 1912. 

As I date this letter I am reminded that the year 
is very old and will soon be a thing of the past. It is 
a little cooler this morning, 68°. 

We are still in the Sudd and will be for fully another 
day as there was about 500 miles of it that w r e had 
to cover, but it is a little different from that of yes¬ 
terday when the papyrus stood fully 25 feet above 
the water line. Today it is not more than 20 feet 
and at places in front of it are patches of tall grass. 
Once in a while in the distance can be seen a tree, 
showing that there must be a patch of soil there. 
Just think, the papyrus swamp goes back some 20 


154 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


miles on one side of the river and 5 miles on the other 
and is 500 miles long. No wonder the Egyptians 
used papyrus to write on. 

This is the twistiest river I have ever seen. It is 
a continual turn, turn, turn and some of them so 
sharp it is nasty work getting around. This morning 
we had half an hour of going ahead and backing up 
before we did get around one turn. This makes it 
very hard to keep track of the points of the compass. 
One minute the sun is on one side and in a minute on 
the other. This is about the way the river course is 



Now do you think you could keep yourself straight 
as to the points of the compass? And yet we are 
supposed to be going south. I quite startled Mr. 
Sefton yesterday by demanding “What are you 
taking us back to Khartoum for?” At that moment 
we were going due north. 

Yesterday afternoon we passed a monster dredge 
on its way to work somewhere up here and we and 
they, by the aid of megaphones, wished each other 
a Happy New Year. The dredge was of American 
make and looked powerful enough to do most any¬ 
thing. Late in the afternoon we had to tie up and 
clean out the flues of our boiler. It looked funny 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


155 


to see us bunt up into the tall papyrus and to have 
a native grab a handful of it, fling the rope around 
it and tie us there; but it did the work as well as 
though it had been a heavy iron driven into the 
ground. 

While we were tied up there the officers spent time 
and ammunition shooting at bottles that were 
thrown in the water. You know men are only boys 
grown tall and have to be amused. 

Last night was really quite cold and I was glad 
to have more than a sheet for covering. 

I am getting to be as black as the Dinkas from 
being out in the wind and sun so much. 

I can’t tell and don’t know how others tell the 
difference between the Shilluks and Dinkas. They 
are both slender, tall and black as the ace of spades 
and wear the usual things for clothes,—their skin. 

This happens to be the birthday of both Captain 
Fox and Lieut. Macindoe, so we are all to dine up 
in the mosquito house, having New Year’s dinner 
served tonight in honor of the combined birthdays. 
No doubt it will be a jolly affair and perhaps one 
that I shall slip away from early. 

Soon after the tea service is over each day we all 
wend our way to the upper deck and chat, jump rope, 
play pranks or in other ways get rid of our exuberant 
spirits while watching the glorious sunsets and the 
still more glorious after glow. The only place I 
have seen such gay colored ones was in paintings 
that I once dubbed untrue to nature. The yellows, 
reds and other vivid colors are so exquisitely blended 


156 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


that each night our ah’s! and oh’s! are more pro¬ 
nounced. Then as the greys become more promi¬ 
nent and cover up the beautiful coloring the mos¬ 
quitos arrive in swarms to bring us to a realizing 
sense of the present and we flee to the mosquito 
house while the officers’ servants quietly bring up 
the beds and arjeebs of their masters and make them 
up for the night. 

This Capt. Fox is a most interesting man. He has 
served in this country quite a while and kept his eyes 
wide open. He has given us much information of the 
people and country. Just at present he is in disgrace 
with the Egyptian army for this reason; he had a long 
leave of absence which he spent with his relatives in 
England, then he asked for an additional sick leave 
which was granted, whereupon he at once struck out 
for the Balkan war and was war correspondent for 
some London papers. The Egyptian army said if 
he was well enough to do that he was well enough 
to be at his post of duty at Mongalla, which sounds 
reasonable. On his return to Cairo the subject was 
brought up and from his own account he was rather 
saucy in his answers. However, they let him go on 
stocking up with provisions, etc., and get one day 
out of Khartoum on this boat. Then telegrams be¬ 
gan coming to him at every station, and the last 
ordered him to return on this boat and go back to 
his regiment in London, so we will have his company 
coming back. He is to get off at Mongalla and stay 
there until our return several days later. It is funny 
to hear him trying to sell his effects to the other 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 157 





NATIVE BED OR ARJEEB AT MONGALA 
CAPTAIN FOX 






158 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


officers. Every one likes him, he is always jolly 
good company and full of information. 

During the summer of 1912 one of our American 
magazines published a story of the killing of an Amer¬ 
ican citizen named Rogers, by English troops on 
Belgian territory in the central part of Africa. The 
article closed with a hint that there might possibly 
be international complications on account of this 
killing of an American citizen. 

One evening Captain Fox was very busy in the mos¬ 
quito house on board the steamer reviewing his big 
stock of photographic material and checking up 
the work on many albums that he had made from 
his own personal experiences. One, especially inter¬ 
esting, was of the pictures obtained within the time 
of his sojourn in Turkey during the Turkish-Balkan 
war episode and of which copies were furnished the 
illustrated papers in London and created considerable 
furor at the time. His personal explanation of the 
pictures made them very realistic and entertaining. 

As he picked up one of his albums, saying “ would 
you care to see how 1 got Rogers?” you can imagine 
our surprise. Naturally we were deeply interested 
not only to see the photographs but to have such an 
unusual opportunity to get the story in detail and 
possibly from another point of view than in the 
magazine article referred to. 

In the first place, in the way of personal explana- 
nation, he stated the reasons that brought about 
the necessity of getting Mr. Rogers. 

This Mr. Rogers had been killing many elephants, 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


159 


procuring much ivory, and shipping large quantities 
of it by way of Southern Africa for export and had 
been so successful from a pecuniary standpoint that 
he had been enabled to equip a well armed native 
company to look after his own personal interests in 
the African country where he was doing his hunting. 
It is said that he was not very careful about territor¬ 
ial limits or permissions and it had been reported 
repeatedly that he had been hunting on English 
territory so that the authorities had sent him re¬ 
peated notices to respect their territory and game 
laws. No attention being paid to these warnings, 
orders were given to Captain Fox to take some of 
his native soldiers and find Mr. Rogers and drive 
him out of the English possessions. So this album 
was made up of a succession of photographs showing 
the initial starting and outfitting of this native com¬ 
pany, their journey through the wild lands from 
point to point and even a photographic exhibition 
of shirmishes showing the actual fighting when this 
little army of Mr. Rogers resisted, finally closing up 
with the mortal wounding of Mr. Rogers himself 
during an actual engagement where the troops were 
fighting. Furthermore, the explanation was offered 
that after Mr. Rogers had surrendered he acknowl¬ 
edged the justice of his defeat and understood fully 
the consequences of all his acts in thus taking the 
law unto himself. 

The personal explanation of the officer in charge, 
following up his orders, taken in connection with the 
account as written in our magazine gave us a very 


160 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


interesting story and showed clearly that the point 
of view was quite a different proposition when the 
exact facts were plainly stated about the untimely 
end of an adventurer who took the law into his own 
hands. 

These officers all bring four months’ supplies out 
with them and after being here a month or six weeks 
send in orders for another four months’ supply as it 
takes fully two months for them to get here. 

Captain de Crespigny is another man full of infor¬ 
mation. While it is his first trip into Egypt and 
the Sudan, yet he has been stationed long in South 
Africa and it is so interesting to hear him tell of that. 
He too is in trouble. It is the law in the army that 
English officers who serve in the Egyptian or Anglo- 
Egyptian army cannot be married. This is just, for 
it is no place for a white woman to live out here. 
However, I believe that after an officer has served 
here some seven years he can get permission to marry 
and then generally is transferred to Khartoum. 
Just before Captain de Crespigny sailed for Egypt, 
his engagement was publicly announced and on ar¬ 
rival at Cairo nothing was said about it, so he went 
ahead and spent quite a deal of money for uniforms 
and stores, and then proceeded to Khartoum. 
There he was notified that he was not needed in the 
Sudan and must return to England. Then he asked 
for a two months’ leave of absence which was granted 
and he and Lieut. Colquhoun will leave us in the 
morning at Shambe and will hunt in this country 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


161 


for that length of time. They talk some of going 
out via Mombassa. 

It is funny to hear the other officers chaff Capt. 
Fox and Lieut, de Crespigny, but they are good 
natured about it. 


S.S. Amara, January 1, 1913. 

Happy New Year to “you all” my friends in 
America. I’ve sent it out into the air to you several 
times already but as it is 2.30 a.m. with you I hope 
all are asleep. 

This morning as I was calmly dressing Charles 
excitedly called “Come, quick, quick,” and I 
“quicked” to see a dead hippo floating by looking 
like a huge stone. 

Mr. Sefton just came and presented me with a 
bracelet made from the hair of a giraffe’s tail. 

Late yesterday afternoon we again tied up to the 
papyrus to clean the tubes of the boiler and I re¬ 
marked that I wished we could have some of that 
lovely vine to decorate the dinner table. The officers 
got busy at once ordering their servants about and 
soon there was an abundance of it and I made a 
garland of it through the center of the table which 
proved to be a very pretty decoration. 

The dinner passed off nicely. It was not quite 
so elaborate as the Christmas one but excellent and 
every one was in happy spirits. Charles gave the 
champagne as a birthday remembrance to the two, 
and in Captain Fox’s diary (left open on the table) 


162 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


for today I saw that “Mrs. Dietz decorated the 
table and Dietz gave the fizz.” 

We did not remain long after the dinner was over 
but they watched the old year out and the new one 
in; however, we heard none of the jollification as we 
were too sleepy. 

There was a little attempt at dress; most of the 
men buttoned up their shirt collars and put on their 
coats. I broke the record by putting on a light silk 
dress and mosquito boots. The latter were a neces¬ 
sity, but as they are ungainly things they looked 
very funny sticking out from under my dress. 

Oh! I must tell you about “filling up” the turkey 
for both the Christmas and New Years eve dinners. 
A couple of hours before Monsieur Turkey was to 
be decapitated he was driven up on to the top deck, 
where all we passengers had gathered and with great 
pomp and ceremony a dish of brandy was set be¬ 
fore him. At first he had to be urged to take it, but 
after a few tastes he left the “straight and narrow 
way” and greedily took the rest. It is said that 
sometimes they get very jolly over it (the turkey I 
mean) and tumble about rather promiscuously but 
both of ours were very sedate and dignified. I 
believe the brandy is said to give the turkey meat a 
most delicious flavor. Certainly both of ours were 
as tender, dainty and choice as any turkey could 
possibly be. 

Late yesterday afternoon the officers had a tug 
of-war on the upper deck and Twas funny to watch 
it, as Mr. Sefton had left a long end of rope hanging 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


163 


down the stairway where several of his native helpers 
were pulling at it. It is hardly necessary to say Mr. 
Sefton’s side won. 

We are still going through the Sudd, with the miles 
of feathery waving papyrus. However, shortly after 
noon we are to reach Shambe, I believe, which is 
on a lagoon. 

We have passed through several small lagoons 
and at times we can look over the papyrus and see 
our winding river at one side or the other. In the 
night we made some very sharp curves and had a 
time of it bunting into the shore, backing up and 
going ahead many times. Through the Sudd there 
are quantities of birds and water fowl but no other 
animal life. The section about Shambe is said to 
abound with big game and our hunters are now on 
the lookout for the solid ground and game. 

The natives on the barge ahead sing every evening, 
—not our kind of song or anything of melody to 
our ears. They seem to take one word; all sing in 
unison, then rest and again take up the word. This 
is continued for perhaps an hour without cessation. 
Last night the word sounded like “Hunyadi” and 
we wondered if eventually it would not have some 
effect on their internal arrangements. 

We find that by telegraphing we can have our mail 
sent up from Khartoum on the boat leaving there 
January 6th and we would get it about the 12th 
when the boats pass. They always stop and visit 
for a few minutes so Charles will telegraph to have 
it sent. 


164 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


S.S. Amara, January 2, 1913. 

We got to Shambe yesterday about noon and 
stayed three hours. The heat was intense so I did 
not get off. Charles walked through the native 
village. It is not much of a place to look at. Be¬ 
sides the native straw huts, there is a comfortable 
looking rest house for Europeans and several store¬ 
houses. Shambe is situated on a lagoon or lake 
five miles long and one mile wide. The river touches 
one corner of this lagoon. 

As we came to the dock at Shambe there stood 
thirty-eight Dinkas, perfectly nude, tall and lithe, and 
not even a string of beads on. They unloaded the 
cargo and later we saw about twenty of them start 
off each with a fifty-six pound package on his head 
or shoulders, as he wished, for the portage of these 
packages to a town eighty miles away. They took 
not a vestage of clothing or food and we wondered 
how they would manage it. But as they only make 
ten miles a day they probably get to some village for 
the night. They are a lazy lot and rest often and 
have to have an overseer with them or they would 
not even make the ten miles per day. Captain de 
Crespigny and Lieut. Colquhoun got off at Shambe 
for their hunt. They had 13 donkeys, provisions, 
servants, baggage, etc. They were to get guides 
there. 

It was most amusing to watch the way they got 
the donkeys off. Its fully as much work as to get 
them on. The barge is detached from the boat, 
pushed as near shore as possible then a board or 


165 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 




THE AMARA BETWEEN THE BARGE AND MAIL BOAT 
A SHILLUK VILLAGE 


gangplank is run out. Sometimes this is not long 
enough to reach the shore but ends in the shallow 
water. The donkey objects seriously to even 
starting out on the plank and has to be pulled or 


166 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


pushed and often slips off into the water, sometimes 
over his head, but he rights himself quickly and 
swims to shore where he proceeds to fill up on what¬ 
ever green thing there is at hand. If he does 
walk the plank, when he gets to the water’s edge he 
refuses to budge and then a terrible time ensues. 

As we were to go into a narrower and more tor¬ 
tuous river at Shambe we had the mail boat fastened 
on one side of the steamer and the native barge on 
the other. Unfortunately we drew the latter and 
find it most disagreeable and very noisy, but realize 
that it is the only way they can get through for we 
are continually bumping into the banks as we make 
the very sharp turns. The sketch I drew of the turns 
in the river are not a circumstance to what we are 
now encountering. It is a wonder to me how they 
do manage to get around. 

I am not worrying about the stock of papyrus 
ever giving out in this country, although we are not 
seeing as much of it today. The country is much 
better and more solid to look at. 

Our neighbors on the barge kept up a continual 
noise until about 2 a.m. so that sound sleep was not 
possible, and about 3.30 a.m. we reached a wooding 
station, to take on fuel which is always a very noisy 
operation. We did not leave there until 6 a.m. 

After I dressed I was feeling pretty seedy and so 
went up to the mosquito house to sort of pull my¬ 
self together. I had only been up there a short time 
when Mr. Sefton came running up crying “ ele¬ 
phants! elephants!” Naturally I ran out on deck and 


*-« 


167 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 



SHILLUKS 



168 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 



WHERE WE SAW SOME HIPPOS IN FRONT OF OUR BOAT 

was so excited that for a second I couldn’t see them. 
They were just turning away from the river where 
they had been drinking. There were seven of them 
huge dark fellows, and they went ambling off into 
the tall grass with their ever present companions, 
the white birds. These birds are about the size of 
doves and eat the fleas or ticks that are on the ele¬ 
phants, and also serve a double purpose; viz., to 
warn the elephants of the approach of hunters or 
other enemies, and to help the hunter locate the 
nearness or whereabouts of the elephants by flying 
from the elphants and being greatly agitated. Every 
one on board was excited and all got a good view. 

A few minutes later there was an immense croco¬ 
dile swimming on ahead of us, but soon went down 
under the water. 



169 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 



ELEPHANTS 




t 


WHITE BIRDS HOVERING OVER THE ELEPHANTS 


170 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 



WHISTLING TEAL ON THE SHORE 


The hippos have afforded us entertainment all 
the morning, as they sported in the water ahead of 
us. At one time eight of them were in line across 
the river with their pink noses sticking up, looking 
like a barrier of some sort, but they only stay up 
a few minutes. As we were coming to a very sharp, 
point, with a dirt bank extending out into the river, 
some one yelled 11 crock!” and sure enough there 
lay a perfectly huge fellow sunning himself. He 
looked to be fully 18 feet long. The hunters ran for 
guns. Three fired at once. There was a splash and 
Mr. Crocodile was rapidly swimming away from us, 
but we all had a perfectly splendid view of him. 
Altogether we feel that we’ve had a very interesting 
and exciting morning. 

Oh! forgot to mention the whistling teals that we 
saw, seemingly thousands of them. 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


171 



A BUNCH OF HIPPOS 


We feel quite a small party now,—only nine, and 
will lose two at Bor and two at Malek tomorrow. 

The boat is beginning to run low with supplies. 
We have proved to be much bigger eaters than was 
expected. All the canned goods are gone. We still 
have some soda water, as we brought 80 dozen. We 
may have to live on dhurra going down. 

S.S. Amara, January 3, 1913. 

Its quite warm enough, thank you! 

Yesterday afternoon we were entertained by the 
hippos which were in sight all the time and at one 
point twenty-six were in plain view at once. They 
would throw themselves out of the water as if stand¬ 
ing on their hind legs and then dive head first into 
the water as though out for a frolic. We saw all 
sizes of them and they snorted as they came up and 
grunted like hogs. I had never expected to see so 
many. 

We landed at Bor this morning at 4 o’clock and 


172 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


after that there was no sleep for any one. Charles 
and I got off and walked about. There are only a 
couple of houses for the Englishmen, but they have 
lovely gardens with bananas, pawpaws, limes, 
oranges, guavas, sweet potatoes, egg plants, tomatoes, 
etc., all growing together in the greatest profusion 
where ever water is given them. The native popula¬ 
tion lived a little apart with no vegetation, just their 
straw huts and naked men. The women do hide their 
charms with slight covering. One girl had so many 



IN THE MISSION GARDEN REV. MR. DAVIES AND MR. THOMAS 

ARRIVE AT MALEK 


bracelets on, her arms had become sore from the 
chafing. A tame gazelle followed us for a ways. 
Charles took quite a number of pictures, some of the 
Amara between the barges. 

Lieut. Tennant and outfits got off at Bor. Lieut. 
Machindoe who is to hunt with him put his things 
off at Bor, but is still with us himself as he is going 
a ways farther up where the telegraph launch is 
and he is to go back with that. They have a great 
time keeping the telegraph line intact as the ele¬ 
phants break the poles and wires very often. 


173 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 



1. THE LANDING AT BOR. 2. AMARA AND BARGES AT BOR. 
3. ENGLISH MISSION AT MALEK. 4. TAME GAZELLE IN NATIVE 
VILLAGE AT BOR. 5. WOMAN IN NATIVE VILLAGE OF BOR. 
6. A TALL NATIVE DINKA. 





174 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 



IN THE SUDD, FROM THE ROOF OF THE BOAT 


At 11.30 a.m. we arrived at the Mission station of 
Malek, and Rev. Mr. Davies and Mr. Thomas got 
off. 

We went ashore notwithstanding the extreme heat 
and were shown about by Rev. Mr. Shaw through 
the garden which is a fine one. He also took us into 
the house, a long building of three rooms, roof covered 
with corrugated iron and also thatched to make it 
cooler. The whole structure is enclosed in screens 
giving a twenty foot wide porch all the way around 
with thatched roof and dirt floor. Here they really 
live and have their being. Each man, there are 
only three, has his own room indoors and each does 
his own cooking living quite like separate families. 
They each get a certain sum per year and out of it 
have to clothe and feed themselves. The house is 
provided. Mr. Davies said he liked it and was glad 
to get back. They try to teach the natives to work, 
rather an uphill undertaking, and their six years 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


175 


labors have brought but little fruit except that grow¬ 
ing in the garden. Mr. Thomas is a carpenter and 
has come out to help do some building and inciden¬ 
tally try to interest the natives in carpenter work. 
A few of the natives had on white cotton drawers, but 
some were as naked as when they were born. The 
mission here only teaches men and boys. 


% 



ROOM BOY ON SHORE LANDING AT MALEK 


Although they had much to unload here it was 
done fairly quickly. It is a bit disconcerting as I stand 
on deck with the other passengers about me to have a 
few dozen of these naked natives line themselves up 
on shore in full view, making a full expose of their 
person. 

Soon after leaving Malek we came into the section 
of the big horned cattle. We have seen several 
herds of them with their huge horns putting the Texas 
steer to shame. The country has had quite a different 
appearance all the morning. The banks are in sight 
with no papyrus but lots of the long grass and Um 
Suff. In places the river was quite wide again. 


176 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


The many times these natives shake hands on 
meeting each other has interested me very much. 
First they shake each other’s hands three times in 
just the same manner as we do. Then they shake 
hands and after each shake touch their hearts. This 
is done three times. Then they go through the shak¬ 
ing process and touch their breasts, doing it three 
times, and lastly the hand shaking with touching 
their eyes between each shake. Everything is done 
three times. Don’t ask me why for I don’t know. 

Our room boy seems to have made friends at all 
of these places and we watch him going through 
with the hand shaking affair time after time. 

S.S. Amara, January 4, 1913. 

During yesterday afternoon we saw ten crocodiles. 
Three at one time were the most. They were out 
on the sand banks sunning themselves in the broiling 
sun. Our hunters shot at all of them but as far as 
we could see with no other result than to make them 
lash the water to a fury as they hastily rolled into it. 

The heat yesterday from 12 to 4 p.m was something 
awful, and it was a hot night also. Today it is equally 
hot but there is a delicious breeze. 

Late yesterday afternoon as we went for quite a 
long way right up close to the shore the natives 
amused us for a while by rushing madly for the empty 
bottles and pieces of cut loaf sugar which our men 
threw on shore. The rac§ was exciting as the naked 
fellows from three feet to six feet three inches ran 
along. 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


177 



THE HIPPO AT HOME 


This country will always stand out in my mind 
as one having the largest marshes, the greatest 
quantity of papyrus, the most hippopotami, croco¬ 
diles and naked men. 

At 6 p.m we reached the wooding station of Sheik 
Tombi and the usual pow-wow began. As there were 
bad sand bars, etc., ahead we had to tie up there 
for the night. Lieutenant Macindoe got off there 
sometime after dinner so we are now down to Cap¬ 
tains Fox, Craigie-Halkett, Mr. Sefton, Charles 
and myself, and we are to lose our two Captains 
late this evening at Mongalla. 



178 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


This morning when Charles and I were up in the 
mosquito house we saw a dead hippo floating down 
stream while several very lively ones sported near 
by. I’m afraid they are devoid of sentiment. One 
was on shore but in such tall grass we could only see 
the back of him. I never expected to see so many 



THE REIS ON THE AMARA 


hippos that we would lose interest in them, but this 
morning as I said “ there is a hippo,” Charles re¬ 
plied, “ unless there are thirty I shall not bother to 
get up to see them.” 

Charles and Mr. Sefton laughed at my efforts to 
talk with the reis or native pilot who speaks 
nothing but Arabic. He and I were alone on the 




A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


179 


i 



ON THE WHITE NILE 


upper deck. Giving my hand a far reaching sweep I 
said, “fill” (I am not certain of my Arabic spelling) 
which I have found out was Arabic for elephant. 
He shook his head and then on the water tank drew 
sketches as of three rivers running into one, and point¬ 
ing over the three said “mafeesh” (nothing) but point¬ 
ing to the one said “fil,” and I understood that until 
we had passed the junction of the rivers there would 
be nothing to be seen but afterwards we might expect 
to see elephants and I hope we will. 

Later.—Well I’ve seen an elephant hunt! We 
were all quietly reading on our deck and trying to 
keep cool when the reis came running down, calling 
“fil, fill” and everybody dropped what they held, 
grabbed field glasses and flew to the upper deck and 
there were five huge elephants stalking away. Cap¬ 
tain Fox said “stop the boat;” Mr. Sefton said the 
same and we bumped into the shore and were tied 
up to a six foot tall anthill. In the meantime Cap- 


180 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


tain Fox and the Mainour (an Egyptian Magistrate) 
who is on the mail boat got into their hunting 
clothes, flannel shirts, khaki pants that only come 
half way to the knees and high boots, and off they 
started with servants following with the elephant 
guns. The rest of us rushed to the top deck. Cap¬ 
tain Craigie-Halkett stood on top of the pilot house 
with field glasses to his eyes and with his other hand 
directed them the way to the elephants. All of us 
were cautioned to be quiet and we hardly breathed 
aloud but stood there with the glasses glued to our 
eyes. It looked to be a walk of fifteen or twenty 
minutes. The hunters were soon lost to our view 
in the tall grass, Um Suff and papyrus that was fully 
twenty feet high, and the measly elephants kept 
moving farther away. After the men had been gone 
an hour and the elephants were lost to view, Mr. 
Sefton had the whistle blown, and the hunters came 
back with not a dry rag on them, too dirty for words 
and covered with fine pricklers. It was a solid marsh 
they had to traverse and they were most of the time up 
to their hips in the water. Once they got near enough 
to hear the elephants but found that they were on 
the windward side and so had to go way around and 
in the meantime the elephants had gone farther 
away. It was after 5 o’clock when they got back, 
tired and hot and ready for plenty of liquids inside 
and out. You cannot imagine what working through 
the elephant grass, Um Suff and papyrus is until 
you see it. I supposed of course that, while we could 
not see them yet we would have no difficulty in 


A BLACK MAN J S COUNTRY 


181 


following their movements by the displacement of 
the grass, etc., as they worked their way through. 
But not so—in three minutes after they left the boat 
they were completely lost to our view and not once 
could we locate them by any sort of a displacement 
or any other thing. However, they could once and a 
while see the boat and heeded the motioning hand 
of Capt. Craigie-Halkett. I now fully realize that 
elephant hunting is not play by any means. I am 
sorry they did not get an elephant, but extremely 
glad that I saw this much. 

When we can see a quarter of a mile ahead, which 
is seldom the case, the banks of the river look to be 
covered with a growth of trees, but we find it is 
always the Um Suff with its corn tassel head. 

We have been stuck for a few minutes several 
times on sand bars which come in most unexpected 
places where the river is narrow and the current 
swift. They are continually changing their posi¬ 
tion. The river varies much in width but at all 
times is a big river. 

Most of the time there is a lot of stuff of one kind 
or another floating down. A sort of plant with rather 
a thick leaf and shaped like a plant we call “hen and 
chickens ” is continually in sight, usually singly but at 
times in bunches. They tell us that it is the lotus and 
that all of those plants come from Victoria Nyanza, 
are washed over the great falls and on down here. 
Then there have been many islands as we came along 
and some of them very large. 

Once in a while we do come to clumps of trees 


182 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 




IN THE SUDD 

FIRE ON THE BANKS SHOWING THE MARIBOU BEING DRIVEN OUT 

that are a mass of hanging vines which make me 
think of the moss covered trees of our Far South. We 
are continually in sight of vast volumes of smoke 
coming from the burning grass and the maribou 
rising above being disturbed by the flames. Burn¬ 
ing of the grass, I believe, enriches the soil and brings 


A BLACK MAN S COUNTRY 


183 


a better crop of grass for the cattle of which they tell 
us there are immense herds. 

Barring the missionary women up on the Sobat 
river I am the only white woman for 1000 miles 
south of Khartoum, and I really seem to be as much 
of a curiosity to the natives, and perhaps more so, 
than they are to me. 

S.S. Amara, January 5, 1913. 

We tied up last night from 10.30 to 4 o’clock this 
morning and oh! but it was hot. We arrived at 
Mongalla at 8 a.m. and it looked most attractive 
from the boat, but when we got on shore and a closer 
view was obtained it was not quite so attractive. 
However, I like it the best of any of the places we 
have seen on the White Nile. As Charles and I were 
wandering about we saw four ostriches and a zebra, 
all tame, the former so much so that they followed us 
along and we were not overly joyous to have them as 
we did not know just what they might do. The 
zebra came to the dock and seemed possessed to 
get right in the way of the natives unloading the 
boat, and they kept driving him away. The usual 
number of naked Dinkas were on hand and one 
presented really a most laughable appearance with 
his red hair, jet black skin, and the only garment he 
wore, a red and white striped undershirt, came only 
to his waist line. Over that he wore a sort of Eton 
jacket of chamois. Later he and a naked Dinka 
made a tandem to a cart that was hauling freight. 


184 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 



AT MONGALA ZEBRA AT MONGALA 


It is droll to see these black faces with red hair of 
which they must be very fond so many have it, but 
not by nature. The way they get it is to hold their 
heads under a cow while she is urinating and the urine 
colors it. They have another use for cows’ urine 
which does not appeal to me in the least—they use 
it to wash their teeth. 

Captain Craigie-Halkett who has spent much 
time in the Mombassa section and gave us most 
fascinating accounts of things there, got off at Mon- 
galla. We knew he was going to Mongalla on duty 
but no one seemed to know just what, but at the last 
minute the secret leaked out and we found that he 
had been detailed as acting Governor there for the 
three months while the real one is on his vacation. 
His duties began almost the minute he landed for 
the Governor had all his belongings on board the 
steamer Tamai which is kept there for his use. There 
was a barge on one side loaded with donkeys, mules, 
servants, soldiers, provisions, etc., and a barge on 
the other side carrying wood. The whole thing 
started out just ahead of us bound for Rejaf where 


185 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


risfl 



1. S.S. AMARA AT MONGALLA. 2. UNLOADING AT MONGALLA. 
3. LOADING TUSKS. 4. NATIVE PORTERS. 5. OSTRICHES AT 
MO'NGALLA. 6. NATIVE PORTERS—PRISONERS AT MONGALLA 


the Governor is first to settle some boundary dispute. 
There was a great deal of ceremony attendant on 
his going aboard. He was treated like a king, which 
of course he is in a way. He had a “dandy” little 
dog with him. The first good looking one I’ve seen 
here. It seems that it is very difficult to make them 





186 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


live here as the tick fever gets hold of them and 
uses them up. 

We left Captain Fox at Mongalla but will pick 
him up when we return. We also left the barge, I'm 
glad to say, so our side is free again. Charles and I 
are the only first class passengers now and as we were 
having our lunch with Mr. Sefton there was the 
greatest hullabaloo and yells on the mail boat. Mr. 
Sefton jumped up saying “man overboard!” and then 
we jumped too. I ran to the side and looked back 
and there in the water was a donkey swimming 
towards shore. He belonged to the Mamour and was 
crowded off the mail boat by the other donkeys. We 
stopped at once and backed up, and they sent the 
small boat out ahead of us. The bank was so steep 
the poor beast could not get up onto it and so they 
got hold of him very soon, put a rope about his neck 
and then slowly came alongside. He was pulled 
aboard by a rope around his neck. I nearly had a 
fit for I surely expected to see his head pulled off 
his body, however, they got him safely on board 
but he presented a very much bedraggled appear¬ 
ance. 

The Governor’s boat is just ahead of us. We had 
passed him but during the donkey episode they 
passed us and now their ms keeps weaving back and 
forth in front of us so we can’t get by, much to the 
annoyance of Mr. Sefton and our reis. 

It has been very hot today and thin clothing 
was just the thing. 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


187 


S.S. Amara at Rejaf, January 6, 1913. 

I forgot to tell you that at Mongalla they keep a 
gun boat all the time and they say that if it steams 
away for an hour or two, as is necessary once in a 
while to keep the machinery limbered up, the natives 
are terribly frightened as they expect the neighbor¬ 
ing tribes to at once swoop down on them. 

Yesterday afternoon we did as usual and went to 
the upper deck shortly after the 4 o’clock tea. It 
was slightly cloudy so I sat outside the mosquito 
house but Charles went in and buried himself in a 
book, saying, “ don’t call me unless you see a lion, 
I’ve seen enough of other things.” He had hardly 
finished before I saw some dark objects with the tell¬ 
tale white birds and I insisted until he came out and 
saw the herd which proved to have fourteen ele¬ 
phants of which we had a fine view. 

Shortly afterward a sand bank came into view on 
which were only six crocodiles. Do you notice with 
what nonchalance I say “only six.” A shot from 
the Mamour's gun made them flop into the water. 
Soon after we passed the elephants we came to or 
rather passed a small native village where they were 
beating their tom-toms loudly to drive the elephants 
away. 

The water is so low we could not get to Gondokoro. 
The Nile up here has many branches or channels 
made by islands of different sizes. We were proceed¬ 
ing slowly up one on which Gondokoro is located and 
as the shades of evening were falling a native on 
the bank yelled to the reis “you’d better stop for the 


188 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


river has all dried up.” Yet we could see water 
ahead. This boat only draws three and a half feet of 
water but we soon found there was not enough 
water even for us, so we bunted into the shore and 
tied up for the night, and whistled for the boat to 
come down from Gondokoro for the mails. It was 
only a small row boat with the black postmaster. 
All our mail was given him with the money to pay 
the postage. 

The natives soon began to gather and Mr. Sefton 
asked if they had any milk to sell and their reply was 
“no, we are savages,” but they did have eggs, chick¬ 
ens, bananas and as our larder was greatly depleted 
Mr. Sefton at once began negotiations with them and 
after a prolonged parley he bought eggs at the rate 
of three cents a dozen. It was funny to see them come, 
each with a few eggs, averaging three to a person, but 
he got quite a number in that way. They asked the 
princely sum of seven and three-fourths cents for 
chickens. At first they said they would not take 
money as they could not use it. They wanted onions 
in place, but finally took money. 

We heard the natives stealthily making their way 
about among the tall grass near us all night and in 
the early hours of the morning their continued 
whisperings got on Charles’ nerves and he stepped out 
of his room and with a few loudly spoken words 
flashed his pocket electric light on them, and such 
a scattering as there was. I think they are prob¬ 
ably still running. 

After leaving Mongalla the country assumed 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


189 



GOVERNMENT GUNBOAT AND BARGES IN THE RAPIDS AT REJAF 

another aspect and we soon came in sight of Lado 
Mountain, which was a relief to the eye. Later in the 
day we could faintly see other mountains and many 
forests. Then large fields of dhurra were passed and to 
us it had much the appearance of our broom corn. 
We were interested in what they called the “ watch 
towers” in these dhurra fields. These are a rude 
structure of four poles with a reed floor near the top. 
On this floor sat one boy, sometimes more, with a 
small stick in his hand and some mud by his side of 
which he made spit balls which he stuck on the end 
of the stick and with a deft movement of the hand 
threw it at the birds that flock to the dhurra fields. 
In other words he is a living scarecrow. They become 
very adept in the throwing of these mud balls and 
hit a bird almost every time. These stick affairs 


190 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 



GOVERNOR’S BOAT “TAMAI” 


are to the native boy what a sling shot is to our 
boy. 

We began to move at 5 a.m. and although it is 
only twenty miles to Rejaf, it took us until noon to 
make it on account, not only of the tortuous channel 
and many islands, but the rocks which are thick 
in this part of the river. At one place there is a 
very narrow and dangerous passage, being on a 
turn which is very narrow with savage rocks on 
both sides. We met several government transports 
there and had to tie up to let the government gun¬ 
boat Nasir and barges pass us. We passed a gov¬ 
ernment transport on its way down, stuck on a rock 
there. Another transport was close at hand and no 
doubt will come to its rescue. As we passed Lado, 
the Governor of Mongalla on the S.S. Tamai was 





A BLACK MAN S COUNTRY 


191 



TRANSPORT CAMP OP THE REJAF ON THE WHITE NILE 

BOUNDARY COMMISSION 


tied up, one of his barges having been detached and 
tied up a little way back of him. 

In every direction are to be seen mountains of 
fair size. This country is very pretty with much 
vegetation, dense forests and acres of banana plants 
which bear profusely. The natives through here are 
Baris, I believe. 

The heat today is nitense,—that steamy kind, and 
I’m a sea of perspiration. 

If we stay here much longer Charles will get down 
to the native dress. He has already discarded coat, 
necktie, and underwear, and leaves his shirt unbut¬ 
toned at the throat. 

Just before getting to Rejaf we stopped on the 
other side of the river where the troops, etc., are, that 
we saw loading at Khartoum December 15. They 
had been there several days and had a well organ¬ 
ized camp, and were giving their animals rest as well 
as themselves, but are to start tomorrow for their 
march to join the Governor of Mongalla to settle 


192 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


some boundary lines. I believe the boundary lines 
between Uganda and the Sudan, on the east side of 
the river is to be moved as far south as that on the 
west side, the two governments having come to 
this decision amicably. 

We had some mules, mail and freight for them 
and we will call there for their mail in the morning 
as we start down. 

It was just noon when we tied up here at Rejaf 
which looks very well from the boat, a few cement 
block houses, and many straw ones while in the back¬ 
ground rises the extinct volcano, called Rejaf hill. 
It is the shape of a sugar loaf and it is said that on 
the top of it there are many very large monkeys 
who live and have their habitations there. The bank 
of the river is quite high here, so we can walk from 
deck to land on a level gangplank. 

As we are to stay here until 6 a.m. tomorrow we 
have put off our going ashore until the cool of the 
afternoon. 

The merchants in all these places are Greeks and 
dirty ones at that. 

Right in sight of us is a bend in the river where 
the women come down to do their washing and 
as the crocodiles are plentiful and on the outlook 
for victims, they have built a stockade of poles 
out in the river to keep the crocodiles away, but 
it don’t keep the water out. 

The Mamour whom I have spoken of several 
times is a Syrian from Beyrout and a very pleas¬ 
ant appearing man. He has just been in to bid 


193 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 



BARI AT REJAF, SHOWING ORNAMENTAL SKIN WORK 



194 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 



A PAIR OF TUSKS 

us good bye, as he goes from here overland, a trip 
of six days, to his station on the border of the Congo. 
He has promised to send Charles some photographs 
of that section. 

A man has just been on board with a pet chim¬ 
panzee, a small one, which he would like to sell. 
He brought him from the Congo and he was very 
comical with his red fez on, full of play, and afforded 
us entertainment for half an hour or more. 

The castor oil bean is grown much all through 


A BLACK MAN S COUNTRY 


195 


this country, but I don’t know whether they make 
any use of it or not. 

The reloading of the boat began almost as soon 
as we tied up. As the men took off a load of freight 
they brought back another. The most interesting 
part of the cargo to us were the elephant tusks 
brought from the stores on the natives’ shoulders. 



NATIVE AND HIS CHIMPANZE 


It was all one man could do to carry some of them 
they were so heavy. 

The S.S. Tamai with its attendant barges came 
in very soon after we did and was tied up just ahead 
of us. The officers here had to dance attendance 
until after 4 o’clock tea, when the Tamai steamed 










196 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 



'GOVERNMENT BOAT AT REJAF LOADING TUSKS AT REJAF 


away and afforded us some fun by getting stuck 
on a sand bar. But they finally got off. They 
are to go on up a few miles farther and tomorrow the 
Governor starts out with his escort to decide about 
the new boundary line. 

The Nile is, with great caution, navigable for 
about 10 miles south of Rejaf, but few boats 
try it. 

This has really been a most delightful trip and 
I’m truly sorry that we are at the turning point. 
The only thing that we have longed for is a cold 
drink. The other people seem to think things 
cold when to me they seem as though taken from 
a stove. However, we have not suffered. We 
have used from two to four bottles of Evain water 
daily, besides other drinks. This afternoon as we 
sat on deck gasping from the heat and with parched 
throats I said to Mr. Sefton “how much would 
you give now for a dish of ice cream” and his answer 
“a pound, even though I am a poor man” was the 
echo of my own feelings. 

Mr. Sefton has asked Captain Castle-Smith to 


A BLACK MAN S COUNTRY 


197 


dine with him tonight. He is the Englishman 
in charge at Rejaf. We have met him and he 
appeared very pleasant. At first he was a little 
alarmed at the thought that he might have to dress 
up for dinner, but Charles and Mr. Sefton told him 
that shirt sleeves were the order of the day or night 
and then he quickly accepted. I can well under¬ 
stand that it must be a treat to these fellows to get 
such a meal as we have on board and to have the 
companionship of white people. He told Charles 
that only a few days ago he shot a crocodile here. 
He also said that their hide was altogether too stiff 
to do anything with. It has been sent to different 
countries hoping it could be used for bags, etc. 
but all returned the same answer,—too thick. 

We are fully 10,003 miles from home here at 
Rejaf. 

S.S. Amara, Rejaf, January 7, 1913. 

About 5 o’clock yesterday afternoon Charles 
and I went on shore and “did” the town. It is 
not large, but well laid out and has no mosquitoes. 
It is in what is called “Lado Enclave” and formerly 
belonged to the Belgians, but in exchange for some 
part of the Congo it was to be given the English 
at the death of old King Leopold, which occurred 
about two years ago, since which time the English 
have occupied it. The merchants are Greeks and 
do a big business in transporting things to and 
from the Congo. Naturally we were interested 
in looking over the things they have to send to the 


198 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


Congo. The stores were in miniature, like our 
department stores. Mr. Sefton had to do much 
stocking up from there for our downward journey. 
We were delighted to find some of the bracelets 
made of hair from the elephant’s tail and bought 
all we could of them. 



BRACELET OF HAIR FROM THE ELEPHANT’S TAIL 


We saw some Congo women, jet black, and in 
infancy they were ornamented (I suppose you would 
call it) by a new method to me. One of these 
women had her arms, neck, breast and back done. 
They are cut while infants and then the sore let 
heal over so as to make a ridge. On this one’s arms 
were flowers and leaves from the shoulder to the 
wrist. About her neck the same sort of orna- 



199 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 



FLOWERS AND OTHER DESIGNS IN RAISED SKIN WORK 


200 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


mentation represented a string of beads with a 
pendant in front and across her back was a festoon 
as of beads. They are very proud of all this orna¬ 
mentation and as they wear nothing above the 
waist line it shows to good advantage. They came 
up to shake hands with me, kissed my hand and 
touched it to their foreheads. Their skin was, as 
I said, black as jet but as smooth as if polished. 
These women wore a long strip of cloth wrapped 
about them from the armpits down and put it on, 
I understand, as we do a jacket when we go out of 
doors. 

The men too are ornamented in the same way 
in their youth and evidently consider it a mark of 
beauty. 

We had a most delightful time last evening and 
found Captain Castle-Smith one of the most charm¬ 
ing Englishmen I have ever met. He came with 
his coat on and made excuses for it, saying he was 
just recovering from the fever and was afraid of 
the night air. He told us so many very interesting 
things that we sat up in the mosquito house until 
a late hour entranced by his talk. One thing he 
told us was both interesting and revolting. It 
seems that some of the Belgian natives are still 
cannibals and when the English recently took over 
their part of the Lado Enclave they had that to 
contend with, and on their territory put a stop to 
it. However, the limits of their territory, natur¬ 
ally, were not well understood for some time, and 
only a short while ago some of the native Belgian 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


201 


soldiers captured a neighboring village which they 
did not know was on English territory. As they 
had taken men, women, children and all their belong¬ 
ings with them, the English demanded the immediate 
return of everything. The Belgians agreed to this 
saying that they did not know they had come into 
English territory and promised that everything 
should be restored to its proper place on the morrow. 
The next day the English went to see if they had 
kept faith, and found that the men, women and 
their belongings had been returned but no children. 
On being asked where they were, the native Belgian 
soldiers replied “we are very sorry but we ate them 
before we knew they were yours.” 

England has a system of telegrams that are 
telegraphed to all her Colonies every day and they 
are posted up in a prominent place in the open 
where all can come and read. Thus the inhabitants 
can keep in touch with events all over the world. 
We have found these all through the Sudan, where 
ever there was a telegraph station and naturally 
we have been interested in the news thus furnished. 

Mr. Sefton told us yesterday that we would not 
be able to get to Gondokoro, and as we wanted to 
brag about “when we were in Uganda,” we got up 
early this morning as the boat pulled out promptly 
at 6 a.m. and went across the river to the trans¬ 
port camp which is in Uganda. After the gang¬ 
plank was down Charles and I went ashore and saw 
the camp while Mr. Sefton was attending to some 
business matters and getting their mail. Then off 


202 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


we started and I can assure you that the gait down 
stream is quite a different thing from going up, 
more than double. We had to stop and take on 
wood and the natives did a thriving business in 
bananas. At first prices were up but about leav¬ 
ing time a full bunch of bananas was given in ex¬ 
change for an empty bottle. I just wish I could 
give you people some of these bananas. They 
are short, fat and rich, and very superior to any 
that we raise. 

There are no passengers other than we two, so 
far. The crew were very nervous about the nasty 
passage between the rocks, as coming down last 
trip they had rather an unpleasant time of it. How¬ 
ever, we got through finely without a bump. They 
back through coming down as they can control the 
boat better that way. 

The current is so swift that a little deviation 
swings the boat about in no time and we have al¬ 
ready done several circles. 

They had such good luck in getting through the 
rocks that both Mr. Sefton and the Reis wanted 
to try and make Gondokoro, so they carefully kept 
on going up that channel and finally we landed there 
just at noon. There is very little to see, but we 
got off and made the long walk through the broil¬ 
ing sun up to the little store where there was not 
much of interest to us. We try to avoid being out 
in the sun at mid-day, but here was our only chance 
to see Gondokoro. The sun was so hot that I 
thought I should drop. The merchants are mostly 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


203 


Hindoos. From the 
store there was an 
attractive looking 
road, shaded by 
large trees leading 
up to the comforta¬ 
ble looking Rest 
house where travel¬ 
ers are welcome to 
stay, but you not 
only must bring 
your own provisions 
for all meals but 
must have every 
other thing you 
need, for all they 
provide is the 
house. We were 
told that Roosevelt 
used it as he came 
from his great hunt 
and here took the 
boat down the Nile. 

Our natives again 
bought bananas and 

Lori T'kO'ir rln+'ir ™ GONDOKORO, UGANDA 

naa to pay auty on straw huts in gondokoro 
them. I had just 

gone to my room for a nap, after leaving Gon¬ 
dokoro at 2.30 p.m. when cries from Charles and 
Mr. Sefton made me run out just in time to see 
the tail end of a herd of elephants. They said 




204 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


there were hundreds of them, but we get past 
things so quickly going down stream. 

We again saw many fields being burnt off and 
hundreds of maribou flying about. They are huge 
ugly looking birds and it seems are the scavengers 
for this country. 

At Gondokoro Mr. Sefton presented me with 
two leopards’ claws which I will have made into a 
pin when I get home. This has been the hottest 
day yet—97J this afternoon. We arrived at Mon- 
galla at 3.30 p.m. having made a record trip, and 
all hands are very happy over it, particularly as 
we did not get stuck on any of the sand bars. 

Acting Governor Cragie-Halkett, who came up 
on the boat with us, has just been down and asked 
us to dine with him tonight at 8 o’clock. Isn’t 
that nice of him? Needless to say we accepted 
with great pleasure, and in my next I’ll tell you all 
about it. 

Mongalla has a very unique clock, a four foot 
piece of heavy railroad iron hung from a tree. A 
native soldier is detailed to strike the hours on it, 
which he does with great precision and as methodi¬ 
cally as if it were struck by an electric hammer. 
Charles got a photograph of the clock and its striker, 
and as we heard it in the night we know that it 
must be a 24 hour affair. 

S.S. Amara, January 8, 1913. 

We had a most unique and delightful dinner 
last night. A few minutes before 8 o’clock Mr. 


A BLACK MANS COUNTRY 


205 



CLOCK AT MONGALLA 


Sefton, Charles and I left the boat preceded by 
one of the natives with a light to show us the way. 
When we arrived at the house we found the party 
out on the porch, with one of those bulb electric 
lights shedding its rays down the walk, waiting for 
us and we were soon all seated at the table. 

The dining room was large, airy and well screened 
and I never sat down to a better nor a more deli¬ 
ciously prepared meal, and it was wonderfully well 
served. 

The guests comprised the host, Captain Craigie- 
Halkett, Captain Fox, Captain Holling who is in 
command of the gun boat at Mongalla, Mr. Darley 
who seems to be a sort of scout, Mr. Wachtel an 
Austrian who has been conducting an experimental 
forest station here for the Government, Mr. Sefton, 




206 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


Charles and myself. Captain Halkett lives in the 
Officers Mess, a nice brick building, but no furni¬ 
ture whatever is provided with it, and naturally 
Captain Halkett did not have a great quantity, but 
Twas enough and the makeshifts were amusing. 
Two small tables were put together to make the 
large one. We took up some candlesticks from the 
boat to help illuminate and the one chair from the 
gun boat was borrowed. I sat in a most comfort¬ 
able big arm chair and so did Charles and Captain 
Fox. The others enjoyed their meal while seated 
on a camp stool, box, and ordinary chairs. 

During the dinner they told me I was the second 
white woman that had ever partaken of a meal in 
the Officers Mess and perhaps that with the fact 
that I was the only one there and having such 
gracious attention from all those interesting men 
(whose mother I was old enough to be), put me in 
the seventh heaven,—for I surely was there. 

The silver and linen were faultless, and what if 
we did have our champagne served an inch at a 
time in the generous whiskey and soda glasses, which 
later were used for the cognac, and the after dinner 
coffee in large cups. It only added piquancy to 
this charming meal. 

We closed the dinner with brandy, I being honored 
with the one small glass, and after this we lingered 
on and on, remaining at the table visiting. Oh! I 
wish I could tell you of the wonderful experiences 
these men have had and which they tell in such 
an interesting way. Continual talking makes a 


A BLACK MAN^S COUNTRY 


207 


dry throat so they interspersed the accounts with 
“another whiskey and soda, please,” or a sip of 
fine brandy. Pray don’t think I drank it all, and 
they did not seem to expect me to, nor to smoke, 
which they did. 

They were all finely educated men, but as you 
know appearances are deceptive and with shirts 
unbuttoned and wide open at the neck, some with¬ 
out collars at all, and all with sleeves rolled up, 
you would, at first glance, never think them what 
they really are, gentlemen in every sense of the 
word. 

It was getting into “the hours when ghosts walk” 
when Charles and I left the festive board, having 
quite an escort. Captain Halkett led, with his 
electric torch to show us the way and we also had 
Mr. Sefton’s cabin boy with a candle, Mr. Sefton 
and I came next, followed by Charles, Captain 
Holling and Mr. Darley. Once in a while Captain 
Halkett would throw his light back on us as he turned 
to make an interesting observation, and then we 
found ourselves getting out of the path, which for 
some reason did not seem quite as straight as when 
we went up it earlier in the evening. After seeing 
us safely to the boat, Captain Halkett bade us 
farewell, as he remained there, and the officers 
returned with him to the house where they held a 
love meeting into the wee small hours of the morning. 

We left Mongalla at 5 o’clock this morning, 
picked up the double-deck barge that we left there 
as we went up, and it is tied to our side of the 


208 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


Amara with its motley passengers. Bunches of 
bananas are tied up everywhere to ripen, which 
they do very fast. 

At the wooding station just this side of Rejaf 
we took on a native passenger, wife of the head 
wood-man there. She is going to Omdurman to 
visit and he gave her $40 to spend, but before leav¬ 
ing he made her go with him to the Egyptian official 
on the mail boat and swear she surely would return 
to him. 

We have Captain Fox with us to Khartoum, 
together with all his belongings—84 pieces. He 
sold a large quantity but says he gave them away. 
Mr. Wachtel and Mr. Darley are also on board 
going as far as Bor. I hear we are to pick up others 
as we go along. 

Don’t think because I do not speak of crocodiles 
it is because we don’t see them, for we do and very 
often and of all sizes. A shot just tells me that 
some one has shot at one, but of course we are not 
quite so excited over seeing them as we were at first. 
They are such ugly looking brutes. As they lie 
on the sand banks asleep it is always with their 
mouths wide open, and it is said the crocodile 
bird, a tiny little one, uses this time to go in the 
crocodile’s mouth and while getting his own little 
stomach full from the carrion caught in the crocodiles 
teeth, he also picks the teeth clean. 

We haven’t seen a hippo since leaving Rejaf, 
and I’m sorry for they are such fat jolly fellows. 


A BLACK MAN S COUNTRY 


209 


They said we passed through a great elephant 
country this morning but not one condescended 
to show himself. 



WOODING STATION SHOWING DOCK MADE OF STICKS AND GRASS 


S.S. Amara, January 9, 1913. 

Yesterday the hippos came to our rescue and 
entertained us by their frolics. We got to the 
wooding station of Sheik Tombe late in the after¬ 
noon and filled every nook and corner with wood, 
leaving there at 7 p.m. we got to Malek, the mission¬ 
ary station, at midnight and then the pow-wow 
began and of course there was no more sleep. 

The Reverend Shaw got on board with a retinue 
of 23 Dinkas, baggage, provisions galore, a mule, 
and 3 bullocks, one of which fell over board and 
had to be fished out with a big hullabaloo! 



210 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


We got away from there at 2 a.m. and arrived at 
Bor at 4 a.m. and then the fun and noise was furious. 
Mr. Darley and his belongings were taken off and 
we took on Mr. Stead and Mr. Brooks and all 
their goods and chattels with a steam launch to 
boot as they are moving to Taufikia to live. Then 
we also booked a large number of natives of all 
sexes and sizes. Two women with babies are right 
under my supervision on the barge, and the babies 
are not at all happy and keep up a constant crying. 
Several women are braiding baskets while the male 
natives spend most of their time asleep. 

The dining room boy brings me a banana every 
morning at 10 o’clock. There is a strong north 
wind but it is not at all cold. 

The Sudanese on the boat use a rather odd wash 
tub, that is to me it seems odd. It is a round tin 
pan only about six inches deep. Into this they 
put only just enough water to thoroughly wet the 
article to be washed, and only one article is put in 
at a time. This they soap well and then knead 
and knead it until they consider the dirt out. Some¬ 
times they change the water but usually one water 
suffices. With this explanation I am now going to 
tell you a story that Rev. Mr. Davies told me as 
we went up the river. I have intended to do so 
before but each day would forget it. At El Duem 
the first stop we made after leaving Khartoum, 
Captain Cragie-Halkett’s servant and Rev. Mr. 
Davies’ servant each bought one of these pans, but 
when they wanted to use them only one pan was to 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


211 


be found. They don’t know whether one was lost 
or only one delivered on board the boat. At any 
rate both servants claimed the pan and were having 
high words over it when Rev. Mr. Davies appeared 
on the scene and heard their excited and vehement 
story. It was quite too complicated a matter for 
him to decide and knowing that Captain Halkett 
had had many questions of judicial character to 
decide among the natives, he told the servants to 
get together, taking the pan with them and tell 
Captain Halkett all about it and let him decide to 
whom the pan belonged. So off they started and 
found Captain Halkett who listened attentively 
to both their tales, then taking the pan in his hand 
he said first to one servant and then to the other, 
“you are sure this is your pan?” Each promptly 
answered “yes.” Then Captain Halkett standing 
up with the pan in hand gave it a dextrous fling 
which landed the pan out in mid stream behind 
our moving boat and said “now whose pan is it?” 
The servants looked, laughed and went off friends. 
Rev. Mr. Davies thought it a very clever way to 
end an almost undecidable squabble, and it wasn’t 
bad, was it? 

Later:—The hippo appeared in great numbers 
this afternoon, at every turn a lot of them came into 
view sporting about. I am sure, in all, we have 
seen hundreds of them this afternoon. Of course 
there were crocodiles too, one perfectly huge one 
of light color. I am told that the light colored ones 
are the females. One dark colored small one was 


212 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


way up on a sand bank and very deliberately walked 
down to the water. Their legs are much longer than 
I thought and it looked quite like a dachshund as it 
waddled along. They are usually so near the water 
that they simply fall into it without any steps. 
We can see their footprints in the sand and they 
look quite like human footprints. We can also see 
the place where they have dragged themselves out of 
the water. The huge female we saw went into the 
water and swam for quite a distance a little ahead 
of us with her entire head out and body in plain 
view with not more than a half inch of water over 
it, and not a gun or camera was about. 

Rev. Mr. Shaw tells us that crocodiles frequently 
lay their eggs in the mission garden and that the 
hippos eat all the tops off the sweet potatoes. Both 
animals make their visits during the night. 

S.S. Amara, January 10, 1913. 

I have so much to tell that I hardly know where 
to begin. Yesterday at 5 p.m. as we were quietly 
going along the cry of “fil, fit” rent the air and we 
all rushed on to the top deck. There were only two 
and in the gathering twilight I could not locate 
them, but the rest did. Captain Fox asked for the 
boat to be stopped, but as we are now two days 
behind schedule time, Mr. Sefton refused to stop. 
Then Captain Fox and Mr. Wachtel hurriedly got 
into their hunting clothes, took the telegraph 
launch and started back. We all thought they were 
nearly crazy to do such a thing as the sun was low, 


A BLACK MAN S COUNTRY 


213 


and the elephants were in the tall Um Suff. They 
took neither food nor extra clothes with them. We 
continued on to the wooding station where we ar¬ 
rived at 9 p.m. and tied up for the night while they 
took on cords and cords of wood. 

After Charles and I had had our dinner we went 
up into the mosquito house for our regular bout 
of cards, and a few miles before getting to the 
wooding station as we bumped into the bank, the 
most savage, ear splitting howl went up from a lion 
close at hand. It was just the same as one hears 
in a zoo when the keeper prods the lion with the 
iron. It was blood curdling and we were both 
glad we were not at his mercy 

A few minutes after we tied up at the wooding 
station and who should come up but Captain De 
Crespigny and Lieutenant Colquhoun whom we 
left at Shambe when we came up. They are on a 
hunting trip, and had come as far as this with 
some success although no big game, but full of most 
interesting experiences. They have 13 donkeys, 
a mule and several servants. They have been among 
the Dinkas all the time and have come to the con¬ 
clusion that the only good Dinka is a dead one. 

On account of the sudd they could not keep near 
the river and lack of water was their trouble. They 
left Shambe with their water skins full, but walking 
through the hot sun is thirsty work for man and 
beast and once when they had not had a drop of 
water for 14 hours, they came to a small native 
village, the inhabitants of which were all about 


214 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


the small pond, which was really a water hole left 
from the rainy season. The women were sitting 
in the water washing themselves and their clothes, 
but the party were so nearly perished for a drink 
they simply had to drink it as there was none to be 
found nearer than many hours. 

One night they camped near another Dinka 
village and the next morning while their breakfast 
was being prepared, the two Englishmen walked 
over to the village to see many Dinka men holding 
a cow by main force, while two others bled her by 
making an incision in her neck. The blood spurted 
out until they got two buckets full, and then they 
took some wet mud and plastered up the incision 
and left the cow to recover. By the time that much 
blood had been drawn the cow was so weak she fell 
down. They saw that done to two cows, and the 
natives greedily drank the blood. It seems they 
have immense herds of cattle and make the rounds 
among them drawing and drinking the blood. 
They saw marks of several different punctures on 
some of the cows’ necks and heard that it took a 
cow about three months to get in condition for 
another bleeding. They said they were the laziest, 
dirtiest class of people they ever saw, and both men 
said when they got back to England they were going 
to advise killing off the whole lot as they were not 
worth trying in any way to civilize. 

These people, naturally, have very simple ideas 
and few words with which to express them. In 
asking them regarding the location of water, all 


215 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 



A DINKA ON THE UPPER NILE 



216 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


they can say is “far” or “near,” in their tongue of 
course. It can hardly be called a language and 
the “far” may be anywhere from 10 to 50 miles, 
and the “near” from 2 to 10 miles. 

The women do all the work, which is very little, 
being mostly bringing water from wherever it is. 
The men go about with long spears which are the 
only weapons they have for getting game. The 
Englishmen had hard work to even get the game 
they shot, for even if no Dinkas were in sight, at 
the firing of a gun they came running from some¬ 
where and would pounce on the game before the 
Englishmen could get to it. Where the head was 
good these hunters wanted to preserve it to take 
home. Yesterday morning they shot a fine water 
buck and said they ran like deers and did get to it 
a second before the Dinkas. Of course these men 
want the meat to eat. 

The minute these Dinkas get to a shot animal 
they begin sucking its blood, then with their spears 
cut it into thin slices, leaving the skin on it, eating 
some while it is fresh. The rest they hang up and 
dry for future use but don’t even bother to cook 
it. These hunters also wanted the skins to take 
home. 

Captain De Crespigny brought me the tail of a 
marabou he shot. I am having it cured as he said 
and when I get home will have a fan made of it. 
The big tail feathers are much like those of the 
turkey and right under these big feathers and close 
up to the body is the bunch of fine white ones that 


A BLACK MAN S COUNTRY 


217 


are used so much for trimming. I have the whole 
thing. 

They were to camp for several days at the wooding 
station and hunt in the neighboring country which 
is said to be full of game. They knew of this wood¬ 
ing station and were trying to find it but all the 
natives they asked said “far” and pointed in the 
direction from which the Englishmen had just come. 
Late yesterday afternoon they stumbled on it. 
They said they were filthy dirty from several days 
march through high grass and also over the burnt 
grass and at once undressed for a swim in the river, 
when along came a gun boat and the commander 
saw them and called out, “don’t go in here for its 
the worst place on the whole river for crocodiles.” 
So they took a bucket bath and certainly looked all 
right, but were much tanned since we left them. 

Well, while they were telling us these interesting 
and revolting things the clock had sped on to 10 
o’clock and just then we heard the chug, chug of the 
launch and we were all relieved to hear it too. 
Imagine our surprise and joy to find that Captain 
Fox had shot an elephant and they had the tusks 
with them. Then there was general rejoicing and 
all had to go down to see the tusks, shake hands, 
etc. After a while we all got back up to the mos¬ 
quito house, where drinks were ordered for the men 
and Captain Colquhoun says “see the number of. 
nations represented in this little company,” and 
sure enough there were English, Scotch, Austrian, 
Americans and Sudanese (the servant). 


218 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


Then we heard of the hunt. They were fortunate 
enough on going back to locate the exact place 
where the elephants were; tied up the launch and 
started into the tall grass and in about 200 feet 
came right up to Mr. Elephant, who at once charged 
them. Fortunately an ant hill helped them as it 



TROPHIES OF THE HUNT 

took six shots to kill him. By that time it was 
quite dark and they had no lights with them, but 
in the dark they hacked out as best they could the 
tusks which grow into the flesh for fully a foot or 
more. Going up they had decided if they found 
and killed an elephant they would take the tail 





A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


219 


hairs to Mrs. Dietz, but lo and behold the tail was 
hairless, so they tried to cut off one of his toes for 
me but the hard substance and the dark made it 
an impossibility. Twelve o’clock came very soon 
you can understand, with all these interesting things 
to hear. The boat pulled out in the early hours 
of the morning but we did not sit up with the English¬ 
men to see it leave. 

This morning we passed the gun boat Nasir 
towing four barges back to Khartoum and I don’t 
see how she manages it, for we have a terrible time 
with one barge and the mail boat. They are so 
bulky and unwieldy it is very hard to swing them 
about the sharp turns and it has to be done by 
waltzing and reversing, I call it. They go in some¬ 
thing this way 



and sometimes have to turn round and round, 
then bump over into the other bank and repeat 
operations several times before they get around. 
The water has lowered quite a little since we 
came up and many sand banks have appeared. 
They say from Shambe on we won’t have to do 
much “■wait zing” as the river is narrower and some 
straighter and there are not so many sand banks. 
The force with which we now bump against the 
banks is such that it knocks things around a great 
deal. We are now entering the papyrus sudd and 


220 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


a little further on the banks will disappear as it 
is all swamp and they say the bumps will not be 
so hard. 

This morning the north wind seems cold. It may 
be it is because I have a cold I am more susceptible. 
There is much more dirt on this boat than I had ex¬ 
pected, due to the burning of wood which makes a 
fine ash over everything. Then the wood has to 
be piled in every corner and is constantly being 
moved. This morning for an hour, eight men 
moved a pile from the barge to the steamer, stand¬ 
ing like a bucket brigade passing one stick at a time 
to a tune with native words which sounded like 
“any old man” and most of the sticks were no larger 
than your arm. No doubt we also get more or 
less dirt from the natives on the barges by our side. 
They do everything in plain sight. 

We now have a new moon. It looked very frail 
as it came up last night, but it will make the rest of 
the trip pleasant. 

Each day I think “surely tomorrow I wont have 
a thing to write,” but that “tomorrow” has not 
yet come. I still think this is of all the trips we 
have taken, quite the most interesting. 

S.S. Amara, January 11, 1913. 

The mornings are really quite cold but by 10 
o’clock it begins to warm up and now, at 2 p.m 
it is boiling hot. 

We got to Shambe yesterday at noon and stopped 
an hour. The Rev. Mr. Shaw and his retinue got 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


221 



off there and were met by another missionary 
who came on board for lunch. They are to go in¬ 
land quite a distance to another mission station. 

The gun boat Nasir with her four barges came into 
Shambe after us and has followed us for the rest 
of the day and it was quite funny to see her ap- 


MR. AND MRS. DIETZ ON THE “AMARA” 

parently coming towards us over the papyrus 
heads, due to the many turns in the river. 

As we were in danger of smashing the telegraph 
launch in our bumps against the shore it was sent 
ahead from Shambe until the worst turns were made 
and we were to overtake it late in the afternoon. 






222 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 




1 AND 2. NATIVE HOUSE BOATS AT HALLET-EL-NUER 
3. AN OPENING IN THE SUDD 


About 8 p.m. our boat whistled long and loud 
and we saw lights ahead which proved to be the 
telegraph launch and also a sailing boat of a native 
merchant who had been doing some trading with the 
Nuer (pronounced in two syllables—New-air) tribe, 
and his stock of goods was being taken on board our 
boat when ahead of us appeared more lights and 
we heard more whistles which proved to be the 




A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


223 


tourist steamer Beatrice with a private party on 
board going up to shoot, and they wanted to mail 
a letter on our boat. Just then the Nasir came along 
and so it was a very busy place in the sudd. 

This morning we were out on deck and looking 
over on the barge saw the native trader who got on 



IVORY BRACELETS MADE FROM TUSKS 


last night with his stock, consisting mostly of cow 
hides which he was taking to Omdurman to sell. 
He also had a lot of ivory bracelets and some tusks. 
Charles and I were at once interested in the brace¬ 
lets and bought 13 of them, all different shapes, 
but nothing that we could wear for they are huge 
in size, being as big around as the tusk was. They 



224 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


use the opening or hollow of the tusk to put their 
arms through. They are unique and show the orna¬ 
ments of the natives. Several others on board 
bought of him. The merchant was clever and only 
brought out a few at a time,—must have had at 
least 50 of them. About 11 o’clock this morning 
we saw a sail boat ahead of us and Mr. Sefton said 
it was at a station in the sudd called Hallet-el-Nuer 
where there was usually a trader waiting to send his 
goods on to Omdurman which is the great whole¬ 
sale market place for the entire Sudan. When we 
got to him we stopped and tied up. 

The merchant’s sailing boat was a picture, old and 
battered with a tent shaped straw shelter built in 
the center. Both ends were open so we could look 
right through it and see the bed and all the other 
things,—the old woman, the goats and sheep had 
been put on shore to rest a while and for the animals 
to feed on the papyrus which they do when there is 
nothing else to eat. 

The papyrus had been cut down for about 100 
feet along the river and for perhaps 20 feet back 
and showed us what I have wanted to see, i.e. the 
ground of the sudd. It is a black slimy marsh on 
which the natives manage to make their way, 
barefooted of course, and with tiny rivulets in every 
direction. On this space lay the stock of goods 
which were put aboard our boat and consisted of 
piles of hides, bags of tobacco, and elephant tusks. 
The hides, folded and tied several in a bundle, 
naturally, are very heavy. As two fellows were 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


225 



NATIVE TRADER’S BOAT AT HALLET-EL-NUER 


picking up a bundle of them from the ground or 
rather marsh, the natives on our boat set up a 
yell which evidently meant “drop it” for that is 
what the fellows did, and jumped away quickly. 
Some one said to us “there is a snake in that bundle,” 
which was the case. Several men armed themselves 
with sticks, others carefully raised the bundle at 
one end and then the sticks rained down on it fast 
and furiously. Mr. Snake ran out, a couple of 


226 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 



PAPYRUS 


hits killed him and the loading went on. Mr. 
Sefton says they frequently get snakes on board 
the boat in just such ways. The natives were going 
to throw the snake into the river but Captain Fox 
begged it and brought it on deck. It was 44 inches 
long, but no one knew the name of it. He skinned 
it and is now drying it for a belt for his sister. 

They say the sudd is full of snakes—ugh! 

At Hallet-el-Nuer the papyrus was very high and 
very thick and as a native was crossing one of the 
little rivulets we got him to stop while they took a 
photograph which gives a good idea of the relative 
height. 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


227 


While we were waiting at Hallet-el-Nuer we were 
interested in seeing the natives coming from good¬ 
ness knows where, as both sides of the river were 
lined with papyrus,—but wherever it was and 
whatever it was, they were coming from it in their 
ambatch canoes and paddling along at a rapid rate. 



NATIVES IN AMBATCH CANOES 


It is really startling to see the way in which these 
natives do spring up from nowhere. 

The one barge and the mail boat are now ahead 
of us making it much pleasanter and giving us 
additional insight into the native life as the rear end 
of the boat is the kitchen. As we came out from 
lunch today a native woman was cleaning the in- 



228 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


sides of a sheep which they had just killed. They 
eat everything except the bladder and the contents 
of the intestines. It was interesting and disgust¬ 
ing to see her strip the intestines, wash them and 
then braid them for drying. Some of the intestines 
they eat without stopping to cook them. Others 
they make into a savory stew. I failed to learn 
which was which. The liver and heart they 
consider much more delicate raw, and it was about 
as much as I could do to retain my own lunch as I 
stood there and watched them make theirs of the 
uncooked morsels. 

S.S. Amara, January 12, 1913. 

This morning up on deck we had the finest and 
closest view of the white eared cob that we have 
had. It stood in a clump of trees, perfectly still, 
while we passed. A few minutes later the reis 
called my attention to four gazelles on the other 
side, equally near, and still, so I had a good view of 
them. 

This is the fourth Sunday we have had on board 
and about the only way that we know that it is Sunday 
is because they give us clean bed linen. 

Facing the north wind as we do on this downward 
trip makes the mosquito house rather unpleasant, 
as the wind blows the wood ashes and the smoke 
back into that house or room, so now we can’t stay 
up there as much as formerly and I am sorry for the 
view from there is so much better and more ex¬ 
tensive than from below. 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


229 



WHITE EARED COB 


One of our second class passengers is an Egyptian 
Bey who is inspector of the wooding stations. He 
is a quiet appearing, elderly man who speaks Arabic 
and a little French. He was telling Mr. Sefton a 
funny thing the other day. It seems that once a 

year Sirdar and Lady W- entertain all the 

Egyptian officers at Khartoum at a big dinner in 
the palace and this Bey by right of seniority, sits 

at Lady W-’s right. He says he watches her 

every movement like a hawk so as not to make any 
mistakes. The meat he loves best of all is chicken 
and they always have it at this dinner but he always 
declines it, saying he does not care for it, because he 
cannot eat it with a knife and fork as he has always 
used his fingers to pull it apart and also to put it 




230 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 



DAHABEAH ON THE NILE 


into his mouth. I know that those Egyptians are 
all glad when that yearly state dinner is over. 

As we came sailing down the river we saw a daha- 
beah moored ahead of us. It proved to be an 
Englishman and his wife out on a hunting trip. Near 
by was a smaller one they take with them where 
all the cooking is done and where the servants 
sleep. 

The weather has been pretty warm today. It was 
just noon when we got to Tonga which is always a 
busy and interesting place. Here we found a big 
quantity of dhurra in sacks which we had to take 
on. 

Close by where we tied up was a dahabeah with 
its attendant cooking and provision boat carrying 
or rather flying the Italian flag and two young 
Italians came aboard the Amara, one of princely 




A BLACK MANS COUNTRY 


231 



TAKING ON A CARGO OF DHURRA IN SACKS AT TONGA 

title, the other “only a gentleman” as some one 
remarked. They were both very affable and spoke 
English well. They were out for a seven months 
hunt, two of which had already passed. 

At Tonga we picked up the empty barge we left 
when we went up and it is tied to our side, but as 
yet unoccupied except by Charles and two of our 
passengers, who have taken chairs, arjeebs, etc. 
on the upper deck and are occupying them as the 
air and view from there is fine. We also have 
joined to us on the other side a big flat boat with an 
automobile on it. Just think of it,—an automobile 
way up the White Nile. It was sent to Tonga to 


232 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


see if it could be utilized for transporting things to 
the different stations hundreds of miles inland. The 
Scotchman in charge, Mr. J. P. Waters, said there 
was no doubt but that it could as he had made 120 
miles in 9 hours over the sandy roads. They will 
soon try the auto truck in some of these places. 

I wish I could get a photograph of the Amara as 
she now is, surrounded by the barges and only 
free at the stern. This is the position we are in:— 



1, is the Amara; 2, the double deck empty barge 
on our side; 3, the double deck barge where the 
native passengers are; 4, the mail boat; 5, the barge 
with the automobile; 6, the telegraph launch. Don’t 
you think we must present an odd appearance? 

The S. S. Egypt came into Tonga as we came out. 
She is used to bring supplies to the dredging boats 
wherever they are and is very powerful. Just 
below Tonga we passed a native sailing boat, a 
picturesque addition to the landscape and we begin 
to feel that we are truly getting into inhabited waters. 

I saw seven crocodiles right along, one after the 
other, seemingly a family of them. Mr. Wachtel 



A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


233 



NATIVE SAIL BOAT NEAR TONGA 

shot three of them. We saw many more today, 
probably 20 or 25, along the banks. We passed 
a small lake connected with the river and it was 
alive with whistling teal and cranes, hundreds of 
them. At another place some natives had sur¬ 
rounded a small lake, or mud hole, in which there 
was a hippopotamus and they were spearing the poor 
beast from every direction—no chance for him to 
escape. Do you realize that a hippo when grown 
weighs 3f tons? 

But best of all was when we reached the wooding 
station at 6 p.m. to find the up coming post boat, 









234 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


S.S. Gedid, with our mail. The latest date of the 
letters was December 12th just a month ago today 
and that is pretty quick work. I can’t begin to 
tell you how welcome they all were and how we 
reveled in them. 

When we stopped by the S.S. Gedid I saw a lady 
on board. After a few minutes I smiled and so did 
she and came to the rail where we had quite a 
conversation. She, like myself, was the only woman 
on board. She was the wife of an English officer 
who had been stationed at Khartoum for three years. 
He was on a tour of inspection and she was taking 
the trip with him and incidentally they hoped to have 
some shooting. 

This evening Charles was taken sick with what 
they tell me is an attack of “the fever,” whichis 
always said in such a tone of dread. By directions 
of the men on board I gave him a “whopping” 
big dose of quinine, 10 grains, which he knew would 
kill him, then put him to bed. 

S.S. Amara, January 13, 1913. 

I am glad to say that Charles feels much better 
this morning and is up but I shall see that he takes 
quinine each day while we remain in the Sudan. 
They say he should have done so all the time. 
Many of the men do and the lady on the Gedid with 
whom I talked said she and her husband each took 
5 grains daily at 5 p.m. and thought it was the only 
safe thing to do in this country. 


A BLACK MAN ? S COUNTRY 


235 


It was 9 o'clock last night when we got to Taufikia 
and there tied up for the night and the noise 
was something fierce. Sometimes I think that 
the natives never sleep at night and the Englishmen 
have fallen into the ways of the country. 

We left Taufikia at 7 o’clock this morning and an 
hours ride brought us to pretty Malakal. 

A servant, one of the boat boys, thinking the 
whistle of the steamer did not mean that we were to 
leave right then, dallied with some friends too long at 
Taufikia and was left behind. But he ran overland 
the six miles between Taufikia and Malakal and was 
waiting for us at the latter place when we arrived 
there. The band sergeant, a native was also left 
at Taufikia but was too dignified to run over to 
Malakal. 

The mail clerk from the mail boat brought Charles 
a note this morning from Mr. McCreery, the Ameri¬ 
can missionary we met in Khartoum. The letter 
was sent to Taufikia, care of this boat, and he was 
kind enough to send Charles an envelope cutter that 
he made from a hippo tooth. It is quite a novelty 
and very nice of him to do it. We had hoped that 
we would call there on our way back, as it is only 5 
miles up the Sobat river and not much out of the 
way. Going up Mr. Sefton said he thought he 
could manage it, but as we are now two days late 
and losing time we did not think it would be of any 
use to speak of it. 


236 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


S.S. Amara, January 14, 1913. 

There is a very strong north wind today and we 
have many white caps. A funny thing, the weather 
seems to grow warmer as we go north and the wind 
is the only thing that makes it bearable. 

Yesterday afternoon we stopped at the Catholic 
mission of Lul, just to get their mail. The place 



PUPILS OF THE CATHOLIC MISSION AT LUL 


looked very well from the boat. The usual crowd 
of stupid looking native children were on hand. 
We got to Kodok at 5 p.m. and remained two hours 
taking on hides and sacks of peanuts, or as the natives 
call them, monkey nuts. 

Just as we were moving away from dock the S. S . 
Hanek hove in sight and whistled and signalled 
that she wanted to speak with us, and it transpired 



A BLACK MAN S COUNTRY 


237 


that she had the band sergeant on board, the one 
who was left at Taufikia. This transport, Hanek , 
coming along he boarded her with the understand¬ 
ing that he could go no further than Kodok. He 
thought they would catch up with us long before 
that place was reached. He was soon transfered to 
his place on our barge and went on his way rejoic¬ 
ing. 

We see a few hippos each day and lots of croco¬ 
diles. Yesterday afternoon the latter lay asleep 
on the banks and as they were not shot at they 
did not bother to move. 

I saw a thing on the native barge ahead which 
I forgot to mention: A native had a bone that was 
too big to go into the stew pot which he had and 
not having a knife or hatchet with which to cut 
the bone he used the shovel they use to clean the 
manure from the donkey stalls, and the small parti¬ 
cles of manure that still adhered to the shovel were 
put right in with the bone into the stew pan to 
give the stew a piquant flavor, no doubt. 

I asked Mr. Sefton why the men chanted when 
they moved the wood. He answered that if they 
did not sing they would fuss at each other for not 
handling the wood in just the right way and a fight 
would be the result. 

I am frightfully tanned and my bracelet watch 
which I wear all the time has kept an untanned 
rim about my wrist which shows that I was a white 
woman once, as I laughingly told some one yester¬ 
day. 


238 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


This morning we stopped at Kaka and took on a 
lot of wood and the same ashen covered Shilluks 
were in evidence, that we saw going up. They 
are really a ghastly sight, covered in that way with 
their black skins showing through. Charles has the 
best kind of a time at these places trading with the 
natives. If given their choice between one large 
piece of money and several small ones they will 



TRADING WITH THE NATIVES 


take the collection of small coins even if they make 
only half the value of the large one, going, I suppose, 
on the principle that quantity makes quality. 

This trip on the regular steamer, like ours, takes 
26 days but it will be 28 days on account of the extra 
work. The tourist steamer that goes in February 
does it in 23 days and has none of the native passen- 





A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


239 


gers. I should always prefer to go this way for one 
sees so much more of the country and its life. 

At a small native place where we stopped today 
one of our native passengers got off and went to see 
some of his friends. When we began to back 
away from there he came on the run and yelling at 
the top of his voice. Then all the other natives 
joined in and such a hullabaloo you never heard. 
The natives on the shore grabbed the rope and 
tried to hold the boat and for a few minutes it looked 
as if they would be dragged into the water, but they 
let loose in time. The reis yelled to the fellow to 
run down the bank and we would back up to it so 
he could get on. We backed, he ran, the grass 
was tall and he hesitated, but seeing that that was 
his only chance he ran into the grass which grew 
out in the water. The natives on the boat climbed 
out on the wheel and when he got there pulled him 
in, and how he did talk until Mr. Sefton very forcibly 
told him to “shut up.” 

We are now six people, whites I mean, and five 
nationalities represented, Americans, Irish, Scotch, 
Austrian and English. 

S.S. Amara, January 15, 1913. 

Eight feluccas with sails wide spread passed 
us yesterday afternoon and they looked like great 
white birds swooping down on us. Several small 
steamers also passed. Private parties going up 
for hunting. This is the season when they start 
out. 


240 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


Last night was a terribly noisy one. We stopped 
at Renk about 11 p.m. and took on 100 sacks of the 
“monkey nuts,” and while loading the natives 
yelled and fussed in loud tones all the time. 

Then we went a little further on to the wooding 
station and took on ebony wood to burn, think of 
that. The operation of wooding is always a fright¬ 
fully noisy one and it was 4.30 a. m. when we left 
there so you can imagine we feel rather the worse 
for wear. 

You would laugh to see the plunder these native 
women bring aboard with them. They always have 
one or more live chickens according to the length 
of the journey they are to make, and the chickens 
are tied to something on board so that they can 
have a little liberty. Sometimes there is a whole 
coop of them and that usually indicates a change 
of abode by the owner. Then there is the stew 
pan; plate; spoon; knife; cup; tea pot and the coffee 
paraphernalia which consists of a small kettle sort 
of thing in which the charcoal fire is made, the tin 
cup used to brew it in, a small cup for goodness 
knows what, then the pottery bottle thing that the 
last warming take place in, and the small cup with¬ 
out a handle from which they drink their coffee; 
then always a bag of dhurra; a big basket affair, 
a native production that is filled with odds and ends; 
the roll of bedding which usually consists of a straw 
mat, a blanket and something that answers for a 
pillow. At night they roll themselves in the blanket, 
head and all, curl up on the mat, and I suppose 


A BLACK MAN S COUNTRY 


241 


sleep “the sleep of the just.” Often there are many 
other parcels and sometimes a small tin trunk. Dur¬ 
ing the day they squat down and talk, talk, talk. 
I really would like to know what about. 

At Jebelein (also spelled with a “G”) this afternoon 
we met the S. S. Dal bound south with a party 
of English people out for a hunt. They wanted 
to send mail down by us, so we had to stop and they 
proved to be acquaintances of some of our passen¬ 
gers. The Seton-Karr dahabeah was near and we 
heard that he had shot four lions. 

To shoot in the Sudan you have to take out a 
licence for which you pay a good round sum, and 
then you are given a list of the animals you can 
kill and the number of each allowed. I believe there 
is no limit put on lions, tigers, leopards, hyenas and 
crocodiles. 

Mr. Sefton is pushing hard hoping to get to the 
Kosti bridge in time to get through tonight, before 
closing time. 

S.S. Amara, January 16, 1913. 

We did not get to the bridge near Kosti until 
7 o’clock last night and notwithstanding Mr. Sef- 
ton’s polite request to let us through they declined, 
so we had to tie up at the bridge until 7.45 this 
morning when they opened the draw and let us 
through, an operation which took three minutes. 

As we came through we met a boat of Germans 
going up to hunt and at Kosti was a dahabeah of 
Frenchmen on the same errand. It is now just the 
height of the shooting season. 


242 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


The moon last night was gorgeous and the air 
so soft and balmy it was too delightful to go to bed 
and we did sit out on deck quite a while. It is 
really funny, the farther north we go the warmer 
it seems, but the season grows later you know. 

This morning the regular breakfast had to be 
delayed an hour until we could get to Kosti and 
get some food. We are evidently eating them out 
of house and home. We were warned at Khartoum 
that this Steamship Company was not an ample 
provider and the boat of English people we met 
yesterday complained of the fare they were having 
and they had only been out three days. They sent 
a big requisition for food down by Mr. Sefton to be 
brought up next trip. At first we had very big 
meals, but we had a hearty lot of fellows with us and 
soon depleted the larder, and as stores are scarce 
and stocks very limited we have not lately com¬ 
plained of any great abundance of food. But we’ve 
not suffered at all and it has been so very much better 
than we had expected that we are contented. 

I was asking today, what would happen in case 
of a death on shipboard and they told me, if it was a 
white passenger they wohld wrap them up as best 
they could and stop at the first village and give them 
a burial in the regulation depth grave; if a native 
died he would be turned over to the natives at the 
first village and be buried by them without any 
unwrapping, in fact his clothes are usually taken 
off and used by the living. His grave would be 
dug just deep enough so that the earth would barely 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


243 


cover him. They have no coffins nor means of 
embalming. A tourist died up here a couple of 
years ago and his remains were treated as I de¬ 
scribed, but the next year his relatives returned 
with a coffin and were allowed to take his bones out 
of the country, being in accordance with the laws 
of the Sudan, which require, I believe, that the 
corpse of those dying up there must stay in the ground 
a year before removal. 

I forgot to tell you a funny thing that happened 
to me the other day. As usual I went in for my bath 
at 6.30 a.m. and bolted the bathroom door on the 
inside. When I got through and was ready to come 
out I found that I was locked in. It seems that the 
key was on the outside of the door and someone 
came along and turned it, whether in fun or by 
mistake I don't know, as of course no one would 
acknowledge it. Fortunately there was a bell 
which I rang furiously and as the servant does not 
know a word of English I was afraid he would not 
understand my plight, but when I rattled and rattled 
the door he understood and liberated me. Since 
then I have been very careful that the key was on 
the inside. 

The News Company of Khartoum sent Charles 
a bundle of late newspapers by train to Kosti and 
we got them this morning and were much interested 
in the news of the world. 

We are now wooding up and the noise is awful. 
Two of our native passengers are taking advantage 
of the stay here at the wooding station and in plain 


244 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


sight of every one are taking a bath in the edge of 
the river. No danger of their being locked in the 
bath room. 

Mr. Sefton has told us that we cannot get to 
Khartoum until the morning of the 18th, about 
days late. But it has been such a delightful 
trip that we do not mind the extra time. 

As we get down nearer to civilization my mind 
reverts to the different kinds of native habitations 
we have seen, beginning with the mar¬ 
ket stalls of Khartoum where they, in 
the day time, turn their homes into 
the stores concerning which I wrote 
you before; then the sun dried brick 
and mud huts of Omdurman; then we 
came into the section of straw huts of 
which there seems to be an endless 
variety. Early on the trip there were 
to be seen collections of them under the 
grateful shade of some wide spread¬ 
ing tree often with members of the 
settlement out in front of their simple 
homes. At some places the government makes use 
of these primitive huts for telegraph stations. 

Naturally the greatest number to be seen are the 
straw huts of the very simplest construction; quickly 
put up and as quickly deserted when the inhabitants 
desire to move their location or are captured in war¬ 
fare. 

The Tukul construction requires a little more 
labor but the covering can easily be changed as it 



HOUSE OFSUN 
DRIED BRICK 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


245 



STRAWS HUTS IN THE SHADE OF A SPREADING TREE 
NATIVE MARKET AT OMDURMAN 


gives out. As you get into the big game country 
you often find the houses more elaborate being 
raised high up to be out of the way of animal ma¬ 
rauders. And then you see some villages of the 



1. A BUTCHER’S SHOP. 2. STRAW TELEGRAPH STATION AT 
GAMBELA. 3. TUKUL CONSTRUCTION 

246 









1. FISHERMEN’S HUTS IN THE SUDD. 2. HOME IN THE “RIG 
GAME COUNTRY.” 3. GRAIN BINS OF THE UPPER NILE 

247 




248 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 



A FAMILY IN FRONT OF THEIR STRAW HUT 
A STRAW HUT OF THE SIMPLEST CONSTRUCTION 


ordinary straw huts, while close at hand are the 
grain bins built on stilts, as one might say, for 
safety. However by far the largest number we 
saw were of the same make and design as the simple 
huts of fishermen in the sudd. 




249 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


SHILLUK IN FRONT OF HIS HOUSE ON THE UPPER NILE 

S.S. Amara, January 17 , 1913. 
My! but it is cold this morning, and we have 
gotten into our warm clothing. The strong north 








250 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


wind is making big white caps. We notice the 
difference on the boat but not enough to make us 
at all uncomfortable. The natives on the barges 
are suffering I am sure, as they are huddled together 
and wrapped in every old rag they possess. The 
water dashes up in front so high it splashes over 
everything and canvas had to be put up to protect 
people and things. A great change just in the one 
night. 

All hands are busy today scrubbing up the ship 
preparatory to landing tomorrow. 

Mr. Sefton has telegraphed for a launch to meet 
us at Omdurman in the morning and take us with 
our baggage on to Khartoum. 

After this boat leaves Omdurman in the morning 
it has to anchor in mid-stream and be thoroughly 
fumigated so that if by chance any mosquitoes were 
hidden in the boat they would be killed and not 
taken into Khartoum. This sort of care appeals 
to me very much, for at best this is a trying country 
for the white man. 

Yesterday afternoon we stopped several hours 
and took on wood as they had to have enough to 
take them to Khartoum and back to the wooding 
station. The forest there was lovely and it seemed 
too bad to think of destroying it. The fuel question 
for these steamers is really a serious one. They are 
fast using up the forests—then what? 

This is not nearly as pretty nor interesting a 
country as farther south, much flatter, and more 



A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 251 


SHADOUF, THE MOST PRIMITIVE METHOD OF IRRIGATION 




252 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


sand. The garden cultivation is near shore and 
Sakiyehs and Shadoufs are busily at work. 

It has been so cold today that our little company 
has gathered together in the dining room with doors 
and Windows tightly shut to keep out the cold air. 
When the table has not been in use for meals the 
men have used it for “auction” with very lively 
bidding going on and friendly wrangling and spar¬ 
ring all the time. Such bidding I’ve never seen or 
heard,—fun for the outsider, certainly. 

The wind has lashed the water into large sized 
waves and one of the passengers was seasick. It is 
almost impossible for feluccas to get along in it and 
they are all along the shore, having been blown in. 
And such a time as we have had all day. We got 
into this gale, it seems, about one o’clock last night 
and the boat has had a hard struggle ever since. 
The wind all the morning blew us right into shore, 
then we would back off, turn around and buck into 
the teeth of the gale, in a short time to find our¬ 
selves blown into the shore again and have to do it 
all over. This afternoon they have managed to 
keep going straight at the wind, but with the barges, 
etc. we are very unwieldy and the Amara has all 
it can do. For a little while this morning it looked 
as if the auto would surely have to go, but they 
hustled about and fastened it more securely. 

Mr. Waters says he was coming down five years 
ago in a similar gale and the wind blew them to the 
shore so fast that one of the barges was blown high 
and dry on shore. 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


253 


At this time of the year they have the wind to 
encounter each trip, but it is stronger sometimes 
than others and I surely think this is one of the 
“stronger” times. Waves have dashed up onto 
the barges in a decidedly dampening way notwith¬ 
standing the awning put up to protect the natives 
who seek out the protected sunny places and huddle 
together there. 

We are just passing the village of Katena, quite 
a good sized place of mud huts which are not nearly 
so attractive as the straw huts farther up the river 
and the sand abounds everywhere. 

There was evidently quite a celebration taking 
place at Katena, flags were flying and a big crowd 
of natives were gathered in what looked like the 
market square. It is the native Sunday and also 
the anniversary of King George’s visit to the Sudan. 
Katena is only 55 miles from Khartoum, but as we 
are only just making three miles an hour you can 
see it will be quite a few hours before we can get 
there. 

Mr. Sefton has had telegraphic orders to go direct 
to the quarantine station just out of Khartoum and 
later will go back to Omdurman and unload the 
freight. 

On the mail boat is the cutest lion cub. We just 
saw it this morning. They had it on the back deck 
in the sunshine. It is two months old, yellow in 
color, and the size of a large maltese cat. It was 
very evident it loved to be petted as it would rub 
up against any one who came near. They say they 


254 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 



A CUTE LION CUB 

make lovely affectionate pets until they are six 
months old by which time their teeth and claws 
become very dangerous. 

One of our fellow passengers was telling of an ac¬ 
quaintance of his who was stationed in the Sudan 
and took one of these lion cubs when it was only a 
few weeks old and tamed it so that it ran at liberty 
about the house long after it was full grown. A ten 
year old lad had the care of him, seeing that he was 
fed, etc. One night this gentleman had a dinner 
party of gentlemen who were “doing” the country 
and the lion was in the dining room roaming about 
at will. As the meat course came in Sir Lion gave 
a roar and attacked it, and cleaned the dish but 
no guest objected, as you can well understand. 
The host rang the bell for the half grown lad who had 
always cared for the lion. The lad entered the room, 
slapped the lion first on one side of the head and 
then on the other and taking him by the ear led 
him away. The next day the lion was given to 
the Khartoum Zoo and they sent him to the Cairo 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


255 


Zoo where he now is, a great pet, but of course kept 
caged all the time. 

All day the banks have been lined with ducks, 
geese and cranes, the latter said to be fine eating, but 
they say no one cares to stop so far down to shoot. 
Going up they are full of the big game they hope 
to get and have no desire for such small things, and 
coming down they have had enough shooting and 
are anxious to get to Khartoum. 

Khartoum, January 18, 1913. 

The boat got in sight of this city at 2 a.m. 
Fortunately the wind went down with the sun. 

The boat had to go into quarantine about 1J 
miles from here, but the Steamship Company was 
kind enough to send a launch down for Charles 
and myself and we were up here at the Grand 
Hotel shortly after 7 a.m The boat is due at the 
dock at 1 p.m. when we will get our trunks. 

It was quite like leaving home to leave the Amara 
where we have been so comfortable and from which 
we have seen such interesting things, for the past 
28 days. It was with a pang that we bade farewell 
to our pleasant traveling companions, the Amara 
and her commander. 

The wind is blowing fiercely here, and oh! the sand 
and dust are something terrible. 

Two Englishmen were waiting for us to arrive 
and hear about our trip. They rather wanted to 
take the trip but did not want to venture until 
they knew whether they would be comfortable or 


256 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


not. After talking with us I think they have con¬ 
cluded to take the trip. 

We had quite a cleaning up time, shampoo, 
manicure, etc., with a bath in water from the Blue 
Nile,—so clear that it was a treat. 

Speaking of hair,—I forgot to tell you of the way 
the women up the White Nile wear their hair in 
tiny little braids. Sometimes they have two rows 
of the braids which makes it look like a skirt and 
an overskirt. No doubt it is not done up very 
often. 

Another thing I forgot to mention,—you know 
the natives up there are as black as black can be 
and sometimes they oil their bodies all over and 
then look like polished ebony. 

Oh yes! and still another thing,—we saw several 
bushy trees which we were told were called “ Cande¬ 
labra trees” and they were well named. 

This afternoon we called on Slatin Pasha who 
was most gracious and entertaining, with no signs 
of the hardships he endured during his captivity. 

We can distinctly see the big fall in the level of 
the Blue Nile during the four weeks of our absence. 
A large sandbank out in front of the hotel has ap¬ 
peared. It is said that the Blue Nile goes almost 
dry during what they call the dry season which is 
on now. 


Khartoum, January 19, 1913. 
We left the hotel at 9.30 last night for the train 
which is a much more agreeable ride at that time 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 257 



CANDELABRA TREE 





258 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


than in the broiling, glaring sun of the day. The 
train departed at 10 p.m. We each had a com¬ 
partment equally as good as the one we came on,— 
a “hard pusher” to our celebrated 20th Century, 
although an entirely different arrangement. 

We were dead tired and crawled into bed at once 
and had a fine nights rest, not awakening until 
7.30 a.m., an hour later than has been our custom. 
After getting dressed I started to go out in the corri¬ 
dor and found I had locked myself in (which I knew) 
but could not unlock. I seem to have a penchant 
for that sort of thing. I rang the bell and the 
porter seemed to understand for he at once unlocked 
the door. 

The dust during the night was terrible, but we 
had covered up all our belongings so they were all 
right and I took one of the sheets from the bed and 
dusted the chair, table etc. 

We had a fine view of the Fifth Cataract as we 
sped along on the train, and for quite a while there 
were hundreds of the Dom Palms in view along the 
river bank. These are a sort of scrubby palm that 
has a fruit on it which the natives eat but it is not 
as good as the date. 

At Abu Hamed there was quite a station and a 
number of fair houses besides many native huts. 
We got out and stretched our legs and basked in 
the sunshine, for the air was really very cold. It 
is a junction point, a line going from here to Kareima, 
from which we heard there was a very nice short trip 
on the Nile to Dongola. 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


259 


From Abu Hamed we struck straight into the 
desert and a most desolate desert it was. The 
railroad makes a straight cut across to Wady Haifa. 
The river makes a big bend to the west making the 
distance much greater that way. However it is 
not navigable on account of the cataracts. Sand, 
sand, sand as far as the eye could reach in every 
direction and they told us that six weeks later they 
were often delayed several hours by the sand storms; 
which cover the tracks and they have to stop and 
shovel it off. At one place where they have the most 
trouble they have built sand fences on the order of 
our snow fences only more solid. Already the sand 
is well banked up against them while on the other 
side of the track lie shovels and wheelbarrows 
ready for relief. 

From 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. we had on one side a 
continuation of lakes with lonely trees and islands 
and on the other side what seemed to be the ocean 
with mountainous islands, like Capri, near the shore. 
Nothing but a mirage, nothing but a mirage. I 
could readily understand how the thirsty tired over¬ 
land traveler could be led to believe it was a reality, 
in fact it was hard for me to realize that it was not. 
There was no vegetation and not a green thing to be 
seen. 

However, one thing puzzled me. There seemed 
to be cotton in the air every once and a while,— 
light fluffy stuff and the little depressions in the 
sand were lined with it. It was like that from our 
cottonwood trees. By watching closely I at last 


260 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


discovered a plant, just the color of the sand, that 
grew not over 6 inches in height and its tops were 
covered with the small particles of cotton. I was 
sorry I could not find out what it was. 

The wind blew from the north all day and so cold 
that Charles sat most of the time with his big ulster 
on. Once in a while there would be hills afar off 
with frequently alluring lakes at their base,—• 
again the mirage. 

The train was not at all crowded. Some Ameri¬ 
can women were on and we soon talked with them. 
They had gone to Khartoum intending to take the 
White Nile trip but were frightened out by the 
stories of heat and mosquitos. 

From Abu Hamed to Wady Haifa the ten stations 
do not have the dignity of a name, but as I wrote 
before are numbered. At Number Six there was 
quite a little settlement of mud huts a little branch 
line going off to some real, true hills far in the distance. 
They told us that 12 miles away gold had been dis¬ 
covered, but I guess not in sufficient quantities to 
cause any excitement in the country. 

S.S. Thebes, January 20, 1913. 

We were on time at Wady Haifa last night, 9 
p.m., and representatives of the three lines of steamers 
(Cooks, Hamburg-American and Government) were 
in attendance with their porters, and soon Cooks 
man had us in charge and we were the only ones for 
them. We had to go to the Customs where all 


A BLACK MAN S COUNTRY 


261 


they asked was if we had any fire arms. They did 
not open our baggage, evidently we looked honest. 
Then on we went to the steamer, a walk of perhaps 
five minutes with a boy and a candle to light the 
way to the steps of the embankment. From there 
the way was illuminated by a string of electric 
lights from the steamer. 

The manager, a Frenchman, was waiting for us 
as we walked up on the “Thebes” and said there 
were only three other passengers besides ourselves. 
He gave us each a double cabin and our trunks 
were put into another one close by. 

No passengers were in sight when we came aboard, 
they had probably gone to bed, but the looks of 
the boat was a delight, so much larger than the one 
we came up on. We were very tired and soon 
retired to sleep the sleep of the just. The air was 
very cold. I had on my gown, flannel wrapper, and 
beside the sheet had two heavy blankets and yet 
did not suffer from the heat. 

All three of the boats remained at Haifa until 
early this morning—4 or 5 o’clock, when they started. 
I did not awaken until 7 a.m. and took a very hot 
bath which warmed me up. As soon as we were 
dressed we went to the attractive dining room and 
had a splendid breakfast, and were up in the big 
observation room in front of the boat in time to 
see Abu Simbel as we were approaching it, and we 
were glued to the spot until every vestige of it had 
been passed. One of the passengers, an English- 


262 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


woman, was making a water color sketch of it, but 
it was only a fleeting glimpse we had as they do not 
stop going down, all the sight seeing being done 
going up so that the down trip only takes half the 
time. 

We are still fighting a strong north wind and it’s 
cold I assure you and waves so high that there is a 
big rocking motion to the boat. I am not affected 
by it yet, but am not bragging so early in the day. 

I really don’t see how these three steamship 
lines can pay and don’t believe they do. The 
manager of this boat says that so far there have been 
very few tourists in Egypt, many less than usual, 
and the reason he says is that people are frightened 
by the Balkan war, not realizing that it is far away 
from Egypt. 

On the train to Wady Haifa there was something 
funny which I have not mentioned: no one asked 
for our tickets, not even to see them until a short 
time before we got to Wady Haifa. We did not 
have to show them when we got on the train, and 
we wondered why one couldn’t beat their way part 
of the distance at least,—not that we intended to 
try it. 

We have a bee buzzing in our bonnets, viz, 
taking the trip from Assuan down to Cairo in a 
dahabeah, if it can be arranged,—a go-as-you-please 
trip, a lazy idle life, much more agreeable than a 
lengthy stay in Cairo and it would be nice to see all 
the temples, life, etc. again. You will hear later 
if it is a go. 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


263 


Assuan, January 22, 1913. 

After thirty-one consecutive nights on a moving 
bed (28 on the White Nile, 1 on sleeper, 2 on boat 
from Wady Haifa), we were more than ready for the 
good quiet rest that we had here last night. 

We arose at an early hour yesterday morning, 
after a bitterly cold night and as we were having 
breakfast on the S.S. Thebes we arrived in front of 
the pretty little Temple of Dendur and tied up. 
During the rest of the meal, between bites and sips 
we admired it, and after breakfast went ashore and 
looked it over. It is a nice comfortable thing to see. 

Later in the morning we stopped at the town of 
Kalabasheh, a cluster of native huts and a landing 
place filled with natives with some silver trinkets 
to sell. They were not obtrusive and not a word of 
“backsheesh” so naturally they made some sales. 

In plain sight from the deck of the steamer was 
the Temple of Kalabasheh, the largest temple in 
Nubia, but now so completely inundated it cannot 
be visited. Over the hills, with quite a little rough 
walk to reach it is a Rock Temple. Charles went 
over to see it but I was too tired (perhaps lazy is a 
better word) to take the walk He said it was very 
pretty with quite a bit of coloring still left on it. 

We arrived at Shellal at 2 p.m., but remained on 
the boat until time to take the train at 3.25 p.m. 
Half an hours ride brought us to Assuan and then 
only a short ride to this hotel where we were met by 
the shoe duster who gave our shoes a good dusting 
notwithstanding they really did not need it, but 


264 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 



SHOE DUSTER AT THE PORTERS AT THE CATARACT 

CATARACT HOTEL HOTEL 

Twas what he was there for. At the door the 
porters gave us welcome and we were soon in a 
comfortable sunny suite of rooms. We were both 
about at the end of our endurance and were “mighty” 
glad to get into such a comfortable place to stay for 
a while. 

As I walked through the town I would hardly have 
known it, it has grown so much since we were here 
13 years ago. 

We lunched in the big dining room and it is a 
beauty, on lines of architecture like the octagon 
room at Shepheards where coffee is served after 
dinner. The sun here is hot and genial, but inside 
of the hotel it is quite cool. 

We asked Cook yesterday about dahabeahs from 
here and they said there was nothing to be had, 
all are kept at Cairo and now is the busy season 
for them, so all are in demand. We will probably 
go down on a regular steamer, stopping en route at 
Luxor, but will stay here for some time. Late in 
the afternoon we walked out in the pretty garden 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


265 


where there are wonderful flowers and an attractive 
Zoo. 

Assuan, January 23, 1913. 

This has been a lovely day. In the morning we 
walked down town and hunted up the Neufeldt 
pension to find that the Charles Neufeldt of the 
Mahdi’s time is in Abyssinia. In Khartoum we 



DINING HALL OF CATARACT HOTEL, ASSUAN 


were told that it was he who kept this pension, but 
we find that it is kept by his sister, who, when we 
called was out at her Desert Camp half an hour’s 
ride from here, where she has a dozen small cabins 
to accommodate people who want that sort of 
thing, like the Wylie Camps in the Yellowstone I 
imagine, only this one is for invalids. 












266 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


Assuan, January 24, 1913. 

This hotel is now flying English, German, Russian 
and American flags. The Grand Duke Constantine 
of Russia and his wife are here—very plain sensible 
appearing people, making no show whatever. I 
have not stirred out of the house today as I find 
my capacity for resting is great. Charles went 
down town this morning and visited the bazars 
which he reports good. 

I saw by the papers that Lady Somebody-or-other 
had decreed that a bracelet watch was perfectly 
proper to be worn with full dress which relieves me 
greatly for I wear mine all the time. The weather 
here in the middle of the day, out of doors, is very 
hot but indoors it is always cool. This is a stone 
house plastered over. The mornings and evenings 
are always cool in or out of doors. 

Assuan, January 25, 1913. 

This morning from the foot of the hotel we went 
in a small row boat across this arm of the Nile to 
the south end of Elephantine Island which is directly 
opposite this hotel and from there we had a fine 
view of this side of the hotel, showing the rugged 
rocks rising up from the river. We climbed up the 
winding walk with its pretty garden each side, to 
the Museum and visited it with its really interest¬ 
ing collection of things found in this section and 
further down in Nubia. Then we went out back of 
the Museum and prowled about over the hill where 
extensive excavations have been made and where 


A BLACK MANS COUNTRY 


267 



CATARACT HOTEL, ASSUAN 


remnants of temples are still to be seen, even though 
at a later date there was a large village of mud 
huts built over it all. From this hill you get a really 
fine general view of Assuan. 

We walked the whole length of the Island, plough¬ 
ing through the dust of ages between the two dirty 
native villages and being followed by hordes of dirty 
children whose filthy gummed up eyes were thick 
with flies. Every once in a while Charles would 
make a lunge at them and such a scattering as 
there was. 

At the extreme north end of the Island is the Savoy 
Hotel with its most attractive gardens filled with 
orange and lemon trees, oleanders, extensive rose 
beds, lantanas, etc., while over all the walls and 
hanging down to the river bank were vines of bou- 



268 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


gainvillia covered with its gorgeous blossoms. We 
were much interested in seeing all the changes 
thirteen years growth had made. When we were 
here then our dahabeah was tied up right at this 
hotel which had just been opened and the garden 
was not even laid out. We lunched at the Savoy 
and were in good condition to do justice to it after 
our long walk. 

Shortly afterward we took the sail boat across the 
river for the town of Assuan and the strong north 
wind took us over almost before we were seated 
in the boat. Then we gazed in the store windows 
but it being siesta time the shops were all closed. 
By the time we got here we were ready for our rest. 

Assuan, January 26, 1913. 

Yesterday was really cold but today is a degree 
warmer. One of the Cairo papers spoke about the 
day before being really warm, so I think they must 
have had a continuation of the cold weather we had 
there. 

The hotel porter thought he could get us a daha¬ 
beah, but he makes no progress and all tell us it 
would take a long time, at least three weeks, to sail 
down for the north wind that blows during the 
winter months is much stronger than the current. 
So again we have given it up. We have engaged 
passage for March 10th to go over to Naples. 

We enjoy the pretty garden here so much and 
also the Zoo where they have some monkeys, gazelles, 
cranes and Australian hares. In the garden are 


A BLACK MAN S COUNTRY 


269 



IN THE ZOO AT THE CATARACT HOTEL 


some of the largest roses I have ever seen and I 
feel sure that one we saw this morning must have 
weighed a pound. 

The Egyptian postage stamps seem so small 
and insignificant after the large and beautiful ones 
of the Sudan. 

The hotel constantly flies the Russian flag for 
the Grand Duke and his wife. She was a Saxon 
princess. They have a gentleman and lady with 
them and all are most unpretentious and quiet. 
To see them about the hotel you would never imag¬ 
ine that they were other than “commoners.” 

Assuan, January 27, 1913. 

We walked down town this morning along what 
they call the Station Road with its attractive 
lebbek trees on each side and views of the river and 
Elephantine Island. At the dock here are usually 
several steamers bound both ways. Cooks stops 
his here, but the Hamburg-American start their 
Wady Haifa steamer from here and give the passen- 




270 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 



VIEW FROM THE PORCH OF THE CATARACT HOTEL 

gers the added experience of going through the 
locks at the Barrage. 

We took in the Bazars in detail. They have some 
very tempting things. Very often in the afternoon 
we go out on the front porch of the hotel and en¬ 
joy the view from there. One or more sail boats 
are always in sight and frequently a dahabeah and 
sometimes a steamer; while the yellow, yellow sand 
sliding down the rocks on the other side looks so 
warm and full of life. The rocky islands do look 
rather dangerous and at times I hear prove so. 

We were talking with the head waiter here the 
other day about Cairo and he said “Shepheards 
neighborhood has changed in the last few years, 
now you can’t step out of the hotel without seeing 
the belly shaking.” He meant the cafe chantants, 
and it was all I could do to keep my face straight. 



A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


271 


One day when the chambermaid was in our room, 
Charles asked her if she could speak German. I 
had been talking French to her, and she at once 
launched out in a long dissertation in German for 
it seems that is her native tongue. Then I said, 
“you speak many different languages” and she 
replied, “Oh! I know a leetle English, a leetle French, 
a leetle Italian, a leetle Arabic and much German.” 
That’s not bad is it? 


Assuan, January 28, 1913. 

We took a lovely ride this morning, starting off 
in great style with a comfortable surrey and four 
prancing white horses. As we had to go past 
Pension Neufeldt, we stopped and there was Miss 
Neufeldt who was most anxious to get out to her 
Camp. We asked her to ride with us, which invi¬ 
tation she eagerly accepted. It is about half an 
hour’s ride right out into the desert. The carriage, 
with canopy top has wheels all the tires of which 
are about six inches wide, and is very easy. 

We drove across the flat sandy desert toward the 
hills and then up a canyon where the Camp is situ¬ 
ated,—a wonderfully fine location, entirely pro¬ 
tected from the strong north wind and on two 
sides by high hills of great granite boulders. It 
really looks like a wide river bed, but is sand. The 
accompanying picture from a postal she gave us, 
shows the sandy way that looks like a river, by which 
we came up to the Camp. The building with the 
tall flag pole is the dining room where lunch and 





THE NEUFELDT DESERT CAMP 

272 







273 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 



1. REST HOUSE NEUFELDT CAMP. 2. IN THE DESERT CAMP 
3. MISS NEUFELDT AND MISS FRIEND. 4. MATTING ON THE 
OUTSIDE. 5. OPEN AIR BREAKFAST AT DESERT CAMP. 6. MISS 
NEUFELDT AND THE BABY CAMEL 


dinner are served, but you can also have your 
breakfast there if you prefer it, although it is usually 
served out in the open sunshine. When we arrived 
several were having theirs out there. There is a 
separate building for bathrooms, with hot and 
cold running water. The sun-parlor or rest room 







274 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


as they call it opens to the south with lovely easy 
and steamer chairs, tables, etc. It is lined with the 
fancy bed quilt stuff so often seen in Egypt with 
its gay bright colors. 

The closed end of the rest house has in it a piano, 
games of different sorts, writing desks and is fur¬ 
nished in rattan furniture with such pretty cretonne 
covers. The office of the doctor who remains 
here all the time is in the oblong building in the 
center. 

The houses are really very attractive, constructed 
with wooden frames covered on the outside with the 
straw matting that is made by the natives and all 
the inside is lined with a coarse white domestic, 
tacked on. The houses are built three together, 
that is covered by the same roof, perhaps I should 
have said the houses have three rooms, all single 
and no connecting doors. Each house or room has 
a door front and back, opposite each other, also a 
front and back porch. At the back of each room is 
a small space enclosed with straw matting, some 6 
feet high, protecting you from wind and the gaze 
of others. There you can go in neglige and take a 
sun bath. Each room has a single white iron bed, 
small white dresser, washstand, wardrobe and two 
chairs. The floors are board with a rug at the bed. 
She keeps this camp open from November 1st to 
April 1st and it is full all the time, mostly Germans 
who have kidney trouble. She takes no one with 
anything in the way of a contagious ailment. Her 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


275 


charges are very moderate and include room, board, 
and doctor’s services. She now has accommodations 
for 35 people and adds one or more houses every 
year. She keeps 2 donkeys and a camel there all 
the time for the people to ride and has mail taken 
out every day, but no telephone. 

She owns the ground the camp is on. I don’t 
know how much of a piece there is but imagine it is 
a good sized tract as pointing to another canyon 
she said she soon hoped to build a Desert Camp in 
there for consumptives and would have it entirely 
separate from this one. About half the people she 
now has are invalids, nearly all being accompanied 
by a well relative. 

We talked with a lady staying here who said 
they did have such good times, excellent food and 
splendid fresh air. She said the nights are cold 
but it is warm as soon as the sun gets up and of 
course the air is perfectly dry. 

We were so glad to have seen it and thought it 
was perfectly fine and doing a good work. 

Miss Neufeldt has lived here ten years, going to 
Germany for the summers and bringing all her 
supplies from there. She is a large, forceful woman 
and all the people seemed to love her. 

She said her brother made his headquarters in 
Omdurman, but is traveling much of the time as 
he is Hagenback’s agent and is continually off 
hunting for baby wild animals which are sent to 
Hamburg and tamed while growing. 


276 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


Assuan, January 29, 1913. 

We took the usual walk down town this morning 
following a lot of camels that were loaded with 
kerosene cans, and then wandered into the Bazars 
where you can always find something of interest. 
Today we happened to get to the fountain just as 
the water carriers were filling their pig skins. 

In the morning I open the window of our little 
balcony and as I stand there basking in the bright 
sunshine and breathing in the pure air, I look out 
into the court and across it toward the dining room 
with its mosque like appearance and am always 
entertained by the hotel guests who come out for 
the donkeys and camels that are sent each morn¬ 
ing for them to take their regular exercise. They 
make a good sized cavalcade. 

Assuan, January 30, 1913. 

This morning we drove up to the big Dam or 
Barrage, having our same imposing outfit, and travers¬ 
ing, en route, another part of the desert passing a 
native cemetery with its many whitewashed tombs. 
The little town at the Barrage is so pretty with its 
quantity of attractive trees, palms and flowers. 

The Barrage is a monster enterprise and a delight 
to see but it was rather a dizzy operation to stand 
on top and watch the vast volume of water gushing 
out with its deafening roar. We made the trip 
across the top on the little cars provided for that 
purpose, with a “night gowned” Arab as motive 
power. 


277 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 



1. OUR CARRIAGE AND FOUR. 2. CEMETERY PASSED ON WAY TO 
ASSUAN DAM. 3. CAMELS LOADED WITH KEROSENE. 4. DIN¬ 
ING HALL CATARACT HOTEL. 5. MORNING JAUNTS. 6. WATER 
CARRIERS AT A WELL. 7. OUR BALCONY AT CATARACT HOTEL. 
8. REGULAR MORNING CAVALCADE 







278 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


We saw the boats slowly making the trip through 
the locks and were sorry we could not watch the 
process to a finish, but as it takes 15 minutes for 
each lock and there are seven of them, it was too 
long to wait. 

This afternoon we went down to call on Miss 
Neufeldt and she showed us the chains her brother 



CHAINS WORN BY MR. NEUFELDT 

wore for the 12 years he was prisoner of the Khalifa 
and how he ever managed to step with them on was 
a mystery to me. We have read his book telling 
of his experiences during those ten years. She 
gave us quite a history of her life. We were spell¬ 
bound while listening as ’twas like a romance. 

She was educated in Germany for a high school 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


279 



MR. AND MRS. DIETZ ON PRIVATE CARS CROSSING THE DAM 
ASSUAN DAM LETTING OUT 31,880 TONS OF WATER A MINUTE 

teacher and then went to Geneva, Switzerland, for 
a special course. While there she met Pere Hyacinth 
(the Catholic priest who married) and his wife. 
They persuaded her to go to Jerusalem and open a 
school for girls, but on arrival she found it would be 
necessary for her to know Arabic and also to live 
among the Orientals for a while to get used to their 
life, before she could hope to make a success of such 
an undertaking. As her brother was then living in 








280 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 



THE GARDEN AT THE CATARACT HOTEL 

Assuan she concluded to come here for a year, and 
now it has been her home for ten of them. 

Miss Neufeldt soon saw the crying need of a 
desert camp for invalids and so established this and 
had a girl in charge of it. Just as she got her first 
building up and the thing in running order Miss 
Neufeldt was taken ill with pneumonia and lay for 
seven weeks in bed and had only been up about two 
weeks when the whole thing burned down and she 
did not have a cent of insurance. It took her 
quite a while to recover from the shock when she 
went to work to rebuild it all again. To add more 
worries, the girl about this time married an Arab 
and they at once started a rival desert camp and 
called it the same,—“The Neufeldt Desert Camp.” 
Of course this has cut into her business much, but 
she is full of determination and no doubt will win 
out. Every one about town seems to have great 
respect for her and speaks kindly of her, but if it 
were I, I would have skipped long ago and never 
returned to this country. But she says she likes 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


281 


it here. There is no ac¬ 
counting for tastes, and 
surely “ truth is stranger 
than fiction.” 

Assuan, 

January 31, 1913. 

As we take our regular 
walk each morning we try 
to go and come through 
the little park adjoining 
the hotel and often rest 
our weary bones on the 
seats there amid the tropi¬ 
cal foliage. There are many 
pretty walks, turns and steps therein and the views 
far out on the desert, up and down the river, over 
on Elephantine Island, and clear across the river 
to the hills of yellow sand are always attractive 
enough to hold us enchanted. 

Then we do another thing regularly,—go into 
Cook’s office to see if we can get accommodations 
down to Luxor on any of their boats within a short 
time, but everything to date is full up with a big 
waiting list. We often go on board their boats as 
they lie here at the wharf, a big sounding word for 
the mud bank that serves as such, and they do look 
so clean and comfortable. 

Charles sometimes stands in the window of our 
room and watches the early risers starting off for 
their jaunts. Then is when you also see the servants 



OUR WINDOW AT THE 
CATARACT HOTEL 




282 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 



VIEWS OF THE COURT AT THE CATARACT HOTEL 


flying back and forth across the open court from the 
kitchen with the trays of hot coffee, rolls and jam 
that are most generally partaken of in your own 
room and takes the place of the breakfasts which in 
our country are frequently of a heavier character. 

Mr. A. 0. Lamplough, the celebrated English 
artist of Egyptian scenes, whom we have met on 
several occasions is here and today sent his card in 
to Charles who had a nice visit with him. 

Assuan, February 1, 1913. 

Here comes another month and being a short one 
will probably fly much faster than the others have 
done. I really don’t know where they have gone,— 
certainly not a minute has dragged. 

The freight carriers of Assuan are always interest¬ 
ing as they stride along in their majestic way. 
Along the river or front street, on the river side 
there is always a collection of camels for hire kneel¬ 
ing down chewing their cud, and often we stop 
and watch the unsuspecting traveler take his or 
her seat in the saddle and their agonized expression 



A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


283 



1. NILE FRONT ASSUAN CARRIAGE STAND OR RATHER CAMEL SET. 
2. FREIGHT DELIVERY, ASSUAN. 3. PASSING ACQUAINTANCES. 
4. LOADED CAMELS, ASSUAN 


as the camel arises and is driven off on an uncom¬ 
fortable trot with the camel boy, prod in hand, 
following on behind. 

You know it is said that the camels alone know 
the hundredth name of Allah, which gives them 
their contemptuous expression, and they certainly 
have it, haven’t they? Some one has truly said 
“that an angry camel is the angriest thing on earth 
and when he is aroused he vents a thousand kinds 
of superciliousness, mingled with his wrath against 
his stupid driver.” And how often we see one who 
has knelt for his load in open throated rebellion. 

There is a dwarf who is always on the street, 
rather an interesting looking fellow with his aged 




284 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


face and artistically draped clothes, soliciting alms 
in rather a refined way, if you can imagine such a 
thing. 


Assuan, February 2, 1913. 

What about the ground hog—what is he doing 
with you today? There is such a nasty cold north 
wind blowing here that I hardly think his majesty 
could get out of his hole on account of the shifting 
sand. But the sunshine gives us hope. 

This morning in our walk down town we met a 
lot of camels loaded with huge bales of cotton or 
what looked like that. After breasting the wind 
a while as we went along Front street, we turned 
up a side street and soon found ourselves at the end 
of the Bazars, and so under their grateful pro¬ 
tection from wind and dust we slowly worked our 
way through them. The natives go on the principle 
of “better the day better the deed” and so keep the 
Bazars open on Sunday for the benefit of us tourists 
and their own pocket books. 

Assuan, February 3, 1913. 

The stable that supplies the donkeys to this hotel 
has a very humanitarian name:—-“Society of Pre¬ 
vention of Cruelty to Animals Stable,” and I really 
think they do treat the patient animals well. The 
weather is a degree warmer today and that cold wind 
is not blowing. 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


285 


. I 

A 



S.S. GERMANIA AT ASSUAN 


Assuan, February 4, 1913. 

Well we met the issue this morning and accepted 
our defeat in not being able to get accommodations 
on one of the Cook steamers and bought our tickets 
of the Anglo-American line on S.S. Germania sched¬ 
uled to leave here tomorrow morning for Luxor. 
It is a 24 hour trip and I believe we are to stop at 
a couple of temples. 

All the butter used here and I think all through 
Egypt is shipped from Australia in casks; and 
this morning as a load of boxes of provisions were 
going to the kitchen we saw one marked “Cali¬ 
fornia apples.” 

Again we are packed up and ready to journey on, 




286 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


but this is such a splendid hotel that we both have 
a big twinge of regret at leaving it. 

S.S. Germania, February 5, 1913. 

The adieus were said this morning to the lined up 
servants at the door, the shoe boy with his feather 
duster bringing up the line as we again took our 
place behind the frisky white horses. A last hand¬ 
shake and expressed good wishes, and we were 
whirled over the pretty entrance drive, which in 
our case was the departure drive, of the hotel and 
soon were on board the S.S. Germania, which looked 
all right and our rooms are well arranged. 

The north wind blew this morning with almost 
force enough to keep us at Assuan, and who knows 
but it was a warning to remain? It continued all 
day, gaining force as we went down the river and 
we nearly froze. The waves were lashed into such 
a fury that the stop at Kom Ombo had to be given 
up, but we had a very good view of it from the boat, 
The bank of the river and about the temple have 
been greatly improved since we last saw it. 

We arrived at Edfu at 5 p.m. where we are now 
tied up for the night. 

S.S. Germania, February 6,1913. 

My! Such a cold night, Twas as though we were 
in a frigid zone. There was only one place on the 
boat that was at all comfortable and that was the 
smoking room, which was closed tightly, and fortu¬ 
nately women were permitted in it. Charles and I 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


287 



KOM OMBO 


spent the evening there, but we finally had to go to 
bed and there we were colder than we were last 
September up in the Big Horn Mountains with 
snow 2 feet on a level. I had on all the warm sleep¬ 
ing clothes I possessed and so many bed clothes I 
could hardly move for the weight of them, and yet 
my teeth chattered from the cold. 

The Temple of Edfu was done first thing in the 
morning and then we moved on down the river, 
all the time having this cold strong north wind to 
fight. 

As we were being pulled up to shore at Esna the 
usual crowd of native merchants lined up on the 


288 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


banks with their display of attractive baskets. A 
line of water carriers with their pig skins well filled 
were just filing up the incline and of course stopped 
to see us land. A loaded donkey was patiently 
standing, rear end towards us, while the natives were 
at hand to pile on to the almost completely hidden 



BASKET MERCHANTS AT ESNA 

beast, the sugar cane that lay at their feet, but of 
course they too had to watch the slow operation of 
getting us to shore and securely fastening us. This 
being accomplished off the people filed and “did” 
the temple. 

I really was much more interested in the little 




A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


289 



1. AT ESNA. 2. NATIVE SHACK AT ESNA. 3. CHILD WASHING 
CLOTHES, BY S.S. GERMANIA AT ESNA. 4. GIRL WITH A GOAT. 
5. NATIVE CARRIERS AT ESNA. 6. WELL LOADED DONKEY AT 
ESNA. 

girl, whose goat either feared the water or us and 
struggled to get away, while another smilingly 
went on with her washing; also in an old couple 
who were apparently content in their little shack 
which was not much larger than the proverbial 
shoe the old woman lived in. 



290 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 



WINTER PALACE HOTEL, LUXOR 

Luxor, February 7, 1913. 

It was certainly with great relief, late yesterday 
afternoon, that we saw this hotel loom up, and 
it was about 6 p.m.- that we got to shore, glad to 
get off the boat and really very thankful we were 
not able to get a dahabeah and have to spend more 
time on the windy Nile. 

We found a very comfortable suite of rooms 
awaiting us on the front of the house overlooking 
the river. 

Last night we were so tired and glad to get to a 
hotel that we paid little attention to the location of 
our rooms, but this morning, as they are on the 
west side and cold we tried to get some on the east 
overlooking the garden, but all were occupied so 




A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


291 



COLOSSI OF MEM NON 

we have had a nice coal fire built in ours which 
makes them much more comfortable. But isn’t 
it astonishing that it is so very cold all through 
this country? It is no common sight to see people 
here with their furs on but they do not look out of 
place on those who are fortunate enough to have 
them. 

We were delighted to get a pile of mail this morn¬ 
ing. It really helps us keep warm. 

From our windows we look right over to Thebes 
and the Colossi stand out very distinctly, as do also 
the temples but we don’t know where to look for 


292 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


the Tombs of the Kings, for they have been opened 
since we were here. We intend to go and see them 
some day next week. I was talking to the head 
porter about it this morning and find that we can 
go across the river in the hotel launch and then by 
one of their carriages the rest of the way and get 
back here in time for luncheon. 

The river front here is a continuation of boats. 
At present there are five private boats flying the 
American flag. We saw by the paper that Porfirio 



VIEW OF RIVER FROM OUR STREET IN FRONT OF 

ROOM PORCH WINTER PALACE HOTEL 


Diaz, formerly of Mexico, is in a dahabeah on the 
way up here. 


Luxor, February 8, 1913. 

The Museum kept by the German Consul, who 
is a native, occupied our time part of this morning 
and we found it most interesting. He has had it 
for years and one room he has filled with false 
antiquities and has it so marked. I really liked 
them best of all. Naturally most of his things are 
for sale. 



A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


293 


The garden back of this hotel is lovely, and the 
vegetable garden equally so. They raise all the 
vegetables here for this hotel. 

It is surprising how cold the weather does keep. 
The sun has just now (3.30 p.m.) gotten around so 
that it shines in our front windows, French ones, 
so that we can have them open and sit out on our 
balcony and enjoy the view of the river front with 
its many boats and also the distant view across to 
the hills. 


Luxor, February 9, 1913. 

This afternoon I took a walk along the street in 
front of the hotel and enjoyed, not only the shops 
and ruins one side of the street, but also the vast 
array of boats, dahabeahs, etc., on the other. 

I have been much interested in the J. P. Morgan 
steam dahabeah, the “Khargeh,” which is right in 
front of the hotel and can be seen from my window. 
Of course it flies the American flag. His little 
Pekingese dog is the only thing that don’t jump up 
when Mr. Morgan appears, but quite to the con¬ 
trary often jumps up in the very chair Mr. Morgan 
would naturally take. 

Mr. Theodore M. Davis, another American, has 
his dahabeah settled for the season over on the other 
side of the river. He is, I believe, having some 
excavations made over in the Valley of the Kings, 
and already has made some wonderful finds which 
now repose in the Museum at Cairo. 


294 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


Luxor, February 10, 1913. 

Each morning as I look out of the window I am 
so much interested in the array of ferries going 
across loaded with donkeys, horses, carriages, natives, 
etc., which are being taken over for the use of the 
tourists in sightseeing on that side of the river. 
At first I could not understand what it all meant, 
so many animals being transported over every day, 
but I soon found out and now I regularly watch for 
them, and later for the string of tourists who come 
to the steam launch at the little landing stage in 
front of the hotel. It loads up and snorts away so 
independently to go across, unload and return to 
do the same thing over again many times and also 
to take the big lunch over which is to refresh these 
people at the noon hour, for you must remember 
that it is a long hard days work to even hurriedly 
see the sights there. 

This afternoon Charles, who has been suffering 
with a cold, felt enough better to venture into the 
garden of the hotel and sit a while, but the wind is 
still too cold for him to remain out long. 

An entire change of the boats on the river gave 
us something to watch today. 

Luxor, February 11, 1913. 

Late yesterday afternoon a dahabeah came sail¬ 
ing up the river flying the Mexican flag, so this 
afternoon we walked up the river where the dahabeah 
was tied and then continued our walk quite a ways 
beyond. 


295 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 



1. ROW OF SPHINXES AT KARNAIv. 2. “KHARGEH”, J. P1ERPONT 
MORGAN’S BOAT. 3. COOK’S STEAMER AT ASSUAN. 4. PORTAL 
OF EUERGETES I, AND ENTRANCE TO TEMPLE OF KHONSU. 
5. IN THE GARDEN, WINTER PALACE, LUXOR. 6. EXCAVATING 
AT KARNAK 


This morning we walked in the other direction 
and went on board Cook’s S.S. Arabia, a most 
attractive one with lovely suites, and every place 
occupied,—not that we wanted any of them. 









296 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


Luxor, February 12, 1913. 

Today we concluded to drive out to Karnak and 
again see that ruin. What a stupendous affair 
it is with its row of sphinxes, immense columns, 
etc., etc.! We spent an hour wandering about 



MRS. DIETZ BY THE STANDING COLUMN IN THE TEMPLE OF 
AMMON, KARNAK. 

among the ruins and saw many changes since we 
were here before. They have excavated and cleaned 
up a great deal and are still busily at it and probably 
will be for many years to come. They are con¬ 
tinually finding interesting things. 

The air is much softer today and we spent quite 
a while out in the garden this afternoon reading. 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


297 


Luxor, February 13, 1913. 

This is the first rainy day we have had since 
November 27, 1912 and yet it is the very day we 
chose to go over to the Tombs of the Kings but 
feel it was a wise choice as there was no dust, no 
flies and no glare. It was only a gentle sprinkle 
but the air was cool necessitating our wearing warm 
clothes and our heaviest wraps. We crossed the 
river in the hotel launch and were met on the other 
side by a comfortable carriage drawn by two mules. 
There is a ride of six miles up into that desolate, 
hidden valley where the tombs are located and 
little did they reckon on their being found. We 
visited only the most noted tombs, those of Amen- 
ophis III, Rameses III and Seti I. I can assure 
you it was gruesome in the extreme, to me, to gaze 
on Amenophis as he lies there in his sarcophagus, 
now so brilliantly illuminated with electricity. Of 
course it is all most wonderful and in a way the dec¬ 
orations of the walls, ceilings and columns are 
beautiful. It is a big job to go down all those steps 
and incline planes and then climb up them all again; 
but it is well worth it. It was 12.15 when we got 
back to the Winter Palace and we were ready for 
the good hot lunch that awaited us and to which 
we did more than justice. 

The rain increasing, has kept us indoors the rest 
of the day. 

Luxor, February 14, 1913. 

St. Valentines Day, and not a valentine did I 
send. It has looked all day as though it was going 


298 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


to rain every minute but I don’t think a drop has 
fallen. The air was so thick this morning that we 
could not see on the other side of the river, but 
the usual crowd went over in the launch just the 
same. 

We took quite a walk through the native part of 
the town, going over to the station and returning 
visited several of the “native museums” as they 
call them, but they are nothing more than stores 
and of course filled with antiquities that had been 
found here or manufactured. 

Luxor, February 15, 1913. 

Three cloudy days in succession, and cold so no 
one is really happy about it. We did go through 
the ruins near the hotel. What would one not 
give to have had a peep at the civilization that was 
here those many years ago when all these temples 
were in their prime? 

The changing of the boats on the river is ever an 
entertaining sight and a whistle always brings me 
on a run to the window. Sometimes every available 
inch at the docks (and they really have floating 
docks here) is occupied and then in a short time not 
a thing is left. 


Luxor, February 16, 1913. 
What do you think,—the sun has really come out! 
This morning we again drove out to Karnak and 
again wandered along among its wonders lost in 
admiration. There are always to be seen crowds 


299 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 



1. RUINS OF THE TEMPLE OF AMMON. 2. RESTORING THE SANC¬ 
TUARY, TEMPLE OF AMMON. 3. EAST GATE, TEMPLE OF AMMON. 
4. COLUMNS AT KARNAK. 5 AND 7. OSIRIS PILLARS IN TEMPLE 
OF RAMESES III, LUXOR. 6. TEMPLE OF AMMON. 8. KARNAK 










300 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


of visitors there on top of the piles of debris or 
slowly wending their way through unfrequented 
paths while those of a more studious mind sit with 
Baedeker in hand studying every hieroglyph to 
be seen,—the work of a lifetime and more. 

The restorations are constantly going on too, 
and in certain quarters the ropes of the constructing 



GARDEN SIDE OF SHEPHEARDS SHOWING OUR BALCONY ON 
THE SECOND FLOOR 


derricks are to be encountered. This is our farewell 
look at these marvelous ruins and we prowled about 
for a long time. 

This afternoon we had such a pleasant visit with 
that most agreeable artist, Talbot Kelley, and 
bought of him just the view we so often had from 
the Cataract Hotel at Assuan, up the river, over 
the little islands to the yellow hills across the river. 



A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


301 


We are all packed 
and ready for our 
departure tonight. 



Cairo, Feb. 17, 

1913. 

We left Luxor last 
evening for Cairo 
and are now settled 
in a suite of rooms 
with south and west 
exposure overlook¬ 
ing the garden, so 
while we have the 
sun all day we can 
also have quietude 
and a view of the 
garden which is now XHE savoy hotel, cairo 

in a high state of cul¬ 
tivation. 

A nasty cold wind is blowing, the thermometer 
at 42°, so we are glad to huddle over the fire in our 


room. 

Cairo, February 18, 1913. 

There is so little for us to do here, having “done” 
Cairo and surroundings six times before that we do 
not try to do anything but loaf with a little walk 
for the needed exercise and to get out into the 
sunshine. Of course the shop windows are always 
interesting to look into. We are beginning to wake 
up to the fact that we have made a big mistake in 


302 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


coming this far north and realize now that we should 
have lingered on at Khartoum at least a week before 
starting for Egypt, 


Cairo, February 19, 1913. 

I walked as far as the Savoy Hotel and back again 
this morning. It is really almost comical to see 
the Terrace at the afternoon tea, usually such a 
gay affair as you know, now every one is swathed 
in furs up to their ears. 

Cairo, February 20, 1913. 

The weather today has been vile. This time a 
strong south wind blowing and filled with dust, 
papers and refuse of all kinds. The garden is a 
sight, sand all over everything and so thick that it 
shows very distinctly on the grass, and is drifted 
just as snow drifts with us. I have never seen any 
thing quite like it. However, we braved it all and 
got out for our usual constitutional. 

Cairo, February 21, 1913. 

We still continue to keep the fire in our grate 
merrily burning to the surprise of the hotel employees. 
As the air is not quite so chilly today we boarded 
the electric car and went out to “The New Heliopolis” 
and were shown over the magnificent hotel out 
there. Its equal I have never seen and was sur¬ 
prised to find the location higher than that of Cairo 
so that you have a view of the Citadel and much 
of Cairo. It is a wonderfully beautiful hotel and 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


303 



seemingly well filled. The town itself is very lovely 
with many, many houses of this artistic architecture. 

Cairo, February 22, 1913. 

Washington’s Birthday, but of course no cele¬ 
bration of it here. Cairo at last seems to have come 
into its own,—the weather is lovely today. We 
really got hot and like pussy cats, purred. 


MARBLE LOUNGE GALLERY AT HELIOPOLIS PALACE HOTEL 



304 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 



CAIRO ZOO 

1. GIRAFFES. 2. IBEX. 3. DROMEDARY. 4. SHOVEL NOSE. 
5, 6 AND 8. OUR OLD FRIEND THE HIPPOPOTAMUS. 7. MR. 
BAEHLER. 



A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


305 



YOUR “HUMBLE SERVANTS” ON THEIR RESPECTIVE BALCONIES 

AT CAIRO 



































306 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


The bright sunshine tempted us to the Zoo this 
morning and it seemed quite like meeting old friends 
to see the hippos out sunning themselves while the 
giraffes were at much closer range than those we 
saw up the White Nile. There are many other 
animals at this Zoo which is really a most interesting 
place to visit. 

This afternoon the Military Band played out in 
the garden while tea was served and as the sun was 
warm and genial we could be out on our balconies, 
and thoroughly enjoy the sight of the gay people 
and the music. The well known form of Mr. Baeh- 
ler was to be seen moving about among the tea 
drinkers. 


Cairo, February 25, 1913. 

Sunday and Monday were windy and disagreeable 
and today it is cloudy and unpleasant. I was quite 
amused at an article in the Alexandria paper a 
couple of days ago berating Cairo people for having 
a boat train meet all the steamers and rush the tour¬ 
ists on to Cairo at once. It then went on to tell of 
all the interesting things to be seen at Alexandria. 
The Cairo papers have now “gone them one better” 
and ask that all the “de Luxe” trains be taken off 
to Luxor and Assuan as the tourists now rush 
through Cairo and on to those places. 

Really I believe the time will soon come when 
Khartoum will push them all hard as the winter 
resort. 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


307 


Cairo, February 26, 1913. 

It has been “ sunshine and shadow” all day and 
still we keep the fire merrily going in our rooms. 
Each day as I arise and find it cold, I am thoroughly 
convinced that “the fools are not all dead yet.” 
Why we ever came back this way is now more than 
I can understand, and I feel that I could outline 
such a wonderfully fine trip. What makes me so 
disgusted is that we could have done it in the same 
amount of time: viz. come into Egypt as we did, 
but a little earlier perhaps, go on as we did up to* 
Khartoum, take the Blue Nile trip, then the White 
Nile trip, and on returning to Khartoum rest a few 
days there, then go to Port Sudan and by boat to 
Mombassa, by rail to Victoria Nyanza, take the 
trip around the Lake, then return to Mombassa 
and reship for South Africa and Australia or home as 
we might wish. 

Why isn’t our afterthought given us early in the 
game? 


Cairo, February 27, 1913. 

The weather has been clear and sunshiny but 
not hot. This morning we drove over to the 
Museum which is such a wonderfully interesting 
place. The mummies are not attractive to me. 
It seems to me they are always grinning at me in 
such a diabolical way and I can never understand 
how Pierre Loti could ever go in there at the dead 
of night. 


308 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 



We walked back 
to our hotel and it 
being the siesta hour 
we saw many of the 
sunny places occu¬ 
pied by the natives 
who were coiled up 
there and in the 
“land of Nod,” but 
they are ready at all 
hours of the day to 
go there. 


Cairo, Feb. 28, 
1913. 


ESKEBIEH GARDENS, CAIRO 


This morning we 
quite changed the 
order of the day by 
spending almost the 
whole morning sitting out on the Terrace. We 
picked out a place in the broiling (!) sun which 
did not broil at all, in fact hardly warmed us 



NOON SIESTA, CAIRO 


TOMB OF MARIETTA, CAIRO 


A BLACK MANS COUNTRY 


309 



through. We just 
sat. Of course you 
know you can al¬ 
ways see enough 
there to be inter¬ 
ested in. Just be¬ 
fore lunch we did 
work up enough 
energy to take the 
walk up to and 
through the Eske- 
bieh Gardens. 

Feeling that the 
weather was as good 
as we would have 
we concluded to go 
out to the Pyramids 
and about 2 p.m. we 
started behind a 
spanking white 

team, that we believe to be a private one, and drove 
out to Mena House through the beautiful avenue 
of lebbek trees that one can never forget. We had 
a cup of tea at the Mena House and wandered about 
there a little while, then drove up to the Pyramids, 
viewed them, wondered at them, and then started 
the return. We thought we would freeze. We 
shivered and shook and then shook and shivered 
the cold wind piercing to our marrow bones. We 
were stiff with the cold when we reached Shepheards 


FASHIONABLE RENDEZVOUS 
AT THE PYRAMIDS 



310 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 



PART OF THE PYRAMIDS 


and our fire was so attractive that we hugged it 
the rest of the day. 

This afternoon as we drove over to and from the 
Pyramids we saw many of the buffalo cows going 
the rounds of the water wheels in the fields. What 
ugly things they are! We are reminded of having 
heard that God made the cow,“our cow,” and the 
devil stepped in to try his hand and made the 
buffalo cow. 


Cairo, March 1, 1913. 

The winds of March do blow here just as much as 
anywhere else, and while March did not come in 
quite like a lion, yet it certainly did blow in. 

We took the usual morning walk, and don’t be 



A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


311 


worried, the sweet drink man is still on hand tinkling 
his brass cups. In taking these walks we always 
hunt for the sunny side of the street as we really 
need what heat the sun will give us. 



THE SWEET DRINK MAN 


This afternoon I bundled up and sat out on our 
balcony enjoying the music of the Military Band 
that played while the crowds flocked in to listen, 
have cups of tea and visit. It is a pretty sight, but 
I cannot get used to all the women being done up 
in furs. 


312 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


Cairo, March 2, 1913. 

If this wasn’t Sunday I would say something awful 
for the wind does blow so that if you stick your 
head out of doors, eyes, ears and mouth (if open) 
get a load of the most unpleasant dust. So I have 
avoided it all and just remained close to the hotel. 

Cairo, March 3, 1913. 

Yesterday I thought nothing could be worse than 
the weather then, but today is the most diabolical 
ever. The wind is blowing a gale and has so agi¬ 
tated the desert that by afternoon the atmosphere 
was yellow with the sand and we really had a sand 
storm. You could feel it hit the face and the garden 
was again loaded with it. It seems to me I have 
done nothing but growl, growl, growl, for the last 
week, and I keep thinking of that Mombassa trip 
we might have had if our afterthought had only 
been forethought. 

Cairo, March 4, 1913. 

“Cold, cold, so cold”—I used to sing as a child 
in Sunday School with a glad voice, never think¬ 
ing anything about the meaning, but it is altogether 
too true here today to think about anything else. 
Many of the men wore their overcoats during meals 
today. The only way they could keep warm. 
Now what do you think of that! 

Cairo, March 5, 1913. 

The sun came out this morning and gave promise 
of a nice day, but alas! it was only a promise, for 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


313 



MINIATURE FERRIS WHEEL A CAIRO FOUNTAIN 


before noon clouds had enveloped everything and 
remained so the rest of the day. 

Before it clouded over we started out for a walk 
and took the Boulac street where we were interested 
in the sights of the natives and their doings as we 
went along. At one place a miniature Ferris 
Wheel amused us and we stood for some time watch¬ 
ing them enjoying it and also the “waiting list” 
who were most impatient for their turn. Then 
we continued on over the ugly Boulac Bridge and 
went to the Gezireh Palace Hotel for lunch. The 
very few guests they had made us have a lonely 
feeling. 

After lunch we walked up to the Kasr-en-Nil 
Bridge with its beautiful lions and got there just 
four minutes before it was closed to passengers 
and opened for boats, feluccas, etc. that were lined 
up on both sides of it, and the way we sprinted 
across it would have done justice to our youth. 
After our arrival on the City side quite breathless, 
we were glad to lean up against something while 
we watched the lengthy and crude operation of 


314 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 



KASR-EN-NIL BRIDGE, CAIRO 


opening it which is all done by hand and with much 
talking. Then we were ready to step into one of 
the many carriages to be found everywhere and go 
back to our hotel. 

Cairo, March 6, 1913. 

Absolutely nothing to write of today except the 
continued cold. One is always interested in the 
many old fountains to be found about Cairo and 
appearing in the most unexpected places and ways. 
Today while we were strolling along quite a new 
street to us, but in reality an old street as far as 
Cairo is concerned, we saw one with an interesting 
grilled window and would not have noticed that water 



A BLACK MANS COUNTRY 


315 


was to be had there if a native vendor of dates had 
not stopped to get a drink, and the line of cups 
made us go and look in. 

This afternoon we sat out on the Terrace among 
the shivering tea drinkers until the cold drove us 
in. 


Cairo, March 7, 1913. 

One day is very much like another, cloudy and 
cold. But our stay now is of such short duration 
that we feel we can stand anything that comes. 



NATIVE VENDERS, CAIRO MOSQUE IN ABDIN SQUARE 


This morning we took quite a walk and climbed 
up the winding street to Abdin Square, where is 
located the Khedives Palace. An old mosque 
here kept off the cold north blasts and made a pro¬ 
tected place where the sun gave a little warmth 
which the usual crowd of resting and sleeping 
natives had taken possession of. As we came back 
via Mohammed Ali Street the vendors of different 
sorts were just starting out after their breakfast 
which is usually taken between 11 and 12 o’clock 
and really answers to our luncheon. 




316 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


This afternoon Charles had a very pleasant visit 
with General Porfirio Diaz of Mexico and his private 
secretary, Senor Gonzales. 

Cairo, March 8, 1913. 

On returning from a drive to the old British Ceme¬ 
tery, located in a pretty spot, and well cared for, 

who should we meet 
at the hotel but 
Lieutenant Macin- 
doe, who went up 
the White Nile the 
same time that we 
did. He reported 
fair hunting on his 
trip of that nature, 
but did not get quite 
as much big game as 
he hoped for. 

This evening we 
have been out on 
the balcony watch¬ 
ing the Venetian 
Carnival,—as pretty 
a sight as you could 
ever wish to see. 
The garden was a mass of lovely Japanese lanterns 
strung from every tree and up in the huge palm 
trees were many colored electric lights. When the 
confetti battle began ’twas a mass of riotous 
colorings. 



THE GARDEN AT SHEPHEARDS 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


317 


The cold was great, but I stuck it out by wearing 
my street suit with its coat, heavy ulster over that, 
head all tied up, and at last enveloped myself in 
the eiderdown comfort from the bed. 

It was not as fast and furious, nor as lengthy as 
I have seen in other years, and the crowd of young 
people soon went to the ball room where the dancing 
continued until a late hour. 

Cairo, March 9, 1913. 

My! but the garden looked “fierce” this morning, 
as it was a mass of confetti, papers and general 
disorder. The sun has shone all day for a change 
and it seems to me for the first entire day of our 
stay this time. But the chill still remains and so 
does our fire. 

Night.—We are all packed, trunks have already 
gone and now we are to sleep practically with one 
eye open to be ready for the early rising. 


S.S., Adriatic, March 10, 1913. 

We were up early this morning in readiness for 
the homeward start, and I’m sure our hearts gave 
several extra thumps at the thought. 

Just before leaving, the usual bouquet of lovely 
flowers with good wishes came,—rather a pretty 
custom. We left the hotel at 9 a.m. and the special 
boat train departed 45 minutes later. It was an 
exceedingly long train, notwithstanding quite a 
big crowd came down to Alexandria yesterday to 


318 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


“do” the sights of the City, and beat us on board 
the boat. 

It was 1 p.m. when we got to Gabbary Quay at 
Alexandria, and after a lively scramble got into the 
tug and out here to the steamer Adriatic, where 
we find our rooms most comfortable. The heavy 
baggage came out on lighters and I ted you it was 
quite a sight to see it put on board. There was such 
a quantity of it that they tried to have each rope 
bring up more than its capacity. As a result the 
ropes broke several times, trunks crashed down onto 
the lighters, but fortunately the men got out of the 
way. The trunks, however, did not fare so well 
and many were greatly damaged, several broke open. 
I watched until I saw our two, only small steamer 
ones, safely on board and then my interest flagged. 

We have quite a crowd of notables aboard: 
Morgan, Diaz, and their parties; Aldrich, Judson, 
Harmon and many others. 

It was just 4 p.m. when we steamed out of the har¬ 
bor at Alexandria. The weather has been bright 
and warm all day. 

S.S. Adriatic, March 12, 1913. 

We passed through the Straits of Messina about 
4.30 p.m. and there the wind blew pretty cold. 
Since the earthquake Messina has apparently been 
built up some, as we could see through our glasses 
but the Bay front is still in ruins and the hotel where 
we stopped before that awful disaster has never 
seemed to be repaired. 


A BLACK MANS COUNTRY 


319 


We saw Stromboli far ahead, and just now (8 
p.m.) as we came out from dinner we were passing 
it but beyond the twinkling lights of the little 
village nestling at its base nothing more was to be 
seen. 

Naples, March 13, 1913. 

It was 5.30 this morning when the Adriatic blew 
for the pilot at Naples, and at 7 o’clock we were at 
dock. The hotel man helped us off and the Customs 
man never even deigned to look at our baggage. 
At 8.30 a. m. we were at the hotel with all our be¬ 
longings and installed in our rooms. 

The weather is perfectly fine. 

Naples, March 14, 1913. 

Such glorious weather, and it is so nice to find it 
after the cold of Egypt. 

This afternoon we took a long walk looking into 
the little native shop windows with their display 
of the ever attractive corals, and I am wondering 
if Naples would really be Naples without this wealth 
of coral display. Vesuvius too looks attractive 
as the bright sun is reflected on its sides and the 
thin line of smoke silently wends its way heavenward. 

I went into St. Pauls Church opposite the Kings 
Palace, but the air was that of bottled coldness 
and I was glad to get out and join Charles in the 
warm sunshine. 

Faithful Novara, a courier whom we have had a 
number of times in former years, returned late this 
afternoon and at once reported for duty. 


320 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


Naples, March 15, 1913. 

You know how I love Italy, and as the genial 
sunshine warmed every corner of my being as I 
walked today, there came into my mind what 
someone has so beautifully said, that when you are 
in Italy “it is so easy to think Italy, for Italy is 
your mother and your ardent mistress rolled in 
one. Italy steals you from yourself. You live with 
Italy in your heart, talking her, thinking her, as you 
live under the dominance of the lover who is your 
world.” I never could blame the Italian who comes 
to our country, earns a competency and returns 
to “Sunny Italy’ 7 to bask in her smiles for the rest 
of his life. 

You say Naples is dirty. Of course it is, but to 
me every one of her piles of dirt is picturesque 
and is there in the world such a location, such a 
bay, such blue water and such sunshine? 

Naples, March 18, 1913. 

As it is usually the unexpected which happens 
you may be surprised to know that we are just back 
from a luncheon at Novara’s house, and we had a 
fine time. 

Yesterday at Caserta, Novara said “you remember 
Madam you promised sometime to go to my house.” 
I said, “indeed I do and am feeling hurt that you 
don’t ask me.” At once he asked us for today 
and we accepted instantly. 

This morning he came for us about 11 o’clock 


A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 


321 


and we drove to the Lift in the tunnel and went 
up to the top of the hill in it and then walked to 
his house which hangs on the hill over Posillipo. 
It was a down hill walk through the lanes lined with 
the high walls, but we enjoyed it. 

His wife and youngest boy, four years old, came 
out to meet us, she with wide stretched hands, and 
kissed me on both cheeks. The next boy, nine 
years old, was playing out in front and was made 
to come up and do the proper thing. In the house 
Novara’s mother gave us an equally hearty welcome 
and we were ushered into the kitchen with its at¬ 
tractive copper pans, pots and kettles shining like 
mirrors as they hung in order on the walls. Then we 
were taken upstairs to the sitting room overlooking 
the Bay and with the sun streaming in. The 
boys soon got quite chummy with us and talked “at” 
us in the dialect they use at home. It is not even 
Italian and we simply had to guess at what they 
were saying. It was the same with Mrs. Novara. 

After a little while Novara excused himself, to 
cook our lunch he said, and we entertained ourselves 
very easily. 

In a surprisingly short time Novara came up and 
set the table, and then brought in a dish of steaming 
spaghetti and a bottle of home made red wine. 
We “fell to” and conquered both. Then came veal 
chops, new potatoes, new onions, all cooked to a 
turn and of course they had to be washed down with 
more of the wine, which was some he had made 


322 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 


on his place near Amalfi. Then he brought in the 
most beautiful head of cauliflower I ever saw,— 
big as the top of a wooden pail, white as fleece and 
cooked deliciously. We did justice to it. Next 
was cheese, graham bread, sweet butter and apples. 
By this time the big bottle of wine was about empty 
and we “too full for utterance.” 

Shortly in came Novara and fixed a little table in 
front of the window and we were invited to take 
.seats there. Then up came his mother with a pot 
of coffee she had made especially for us. It was 
fine and we drank liberally of it. 

Then Novara excused himself to have “a little 
lunch” himself and we played with the boys while 
the mother and wife sat by talking of us, we felt sure. 

Presently up came Novara with beaming face, 
saying his father had come and he was pleased 
to have him meet us and we were glad to see him,— 
a nice old man who spoke a little English. He 
lives with another son who also is a courier. 

We made our adieux at 3 p.m. and as we left, Mrs. 
Novara gave us a large bouquet of lovely flowers, 
and while I felt sorry to deprive her of them there 
was nothing else to do but take them. She walked 
down as far as the church with us, and stood there 
leaning over the wall waving her hands as long as 
she could see us. We walked all the way back to 
the hotel and felt the better for it for we had been 
more than bountifully supplied. 


A BLACK MAN S COUNTRY 


323 


Naples, March 20, 1913. 

We are now to do some true American traveling, 
visiting old familiar stamping grounds, for us, so 
I will probably not write for several days. 

Paris, March 28, 1913. 

On March 26th, just as we boarded the train at 
Marseilles at 2.15 p.m. Charles bought the Paris 
Herald, and Mail. You can imagine our anguish 
to read that Omaha had been destroyed by a big 
tornado, mentioning houses just across the street 
from you as being unroofed and friends of ours 
injured. 

We reached Paris at 10 p.m. and found pleasant 
rooms and a cordial welcome waiting us. This 
morning we rushed to Cooks and found your cable 
with its welcome news “all living and well. 7 ’ 

Paris, March 31, 1913. 

Today we called on Madam Bouguereau, the 
widow of the famous French artist Adolphe William 
Bouguereau, and she herself a celebrated artist. 
As we entered her studio there arose from a chair 
in front of a desk this charming woman; not young 
and one could not, at first sight, call her pretty, 
but with a very strong face, lovely short curly iron 
grey hair and wearing a very Parisian black velvet 
dress, soft white lace at the throat and with some 
beautiful jewels,—nothing at all flashy but with a 
quiet elegance in all. She came forward graciously 
with both hands extended and gave us such a cor¬ 
dial greeting. 


324 


A WHITE WOMAN IN 



AT HOME IN OMAHA 

She has a beautiful piece of her own work which 
is not for sale. She did it just after her husband’s 
death. It is of him at work in his studio, with his 
velvet studio clothes on and working at the picture 
on the easel in front of him, while behind him is an 
angel with one hand touching his shoulder and the 
other pointing to the skies. I think the title is 
“Called on High.” The conception is most wonder¬ 
ful and the work second only to that of her husband. 
She gave us a lovely photograph of it and, what do 
you think, she gave me a little sketch she made 
years ago and used as the background for her paint¬ 
ing “Cherries” which we have at home. 







A BLACK MAN’S COUNTRY 



CHERRIES 


326 


A. WHITE WOMAN IN 



PUNCH 



A BLACK MANS COUNTRY 


327 


I feel that it has been such a privilege to meet her 
and count it one of the very pleasant experiences 
of my life and a fitting close for this most interest¬ 
ing and unusual trip. 


Omaha, April 15, 1913. 

Here we are at home again after six months of 
the most varied and interesting experiences it has 
ever been our lot to have. 








































































































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